Lindsay Davenport interview in Filderstadt.

“You wont see me play in 2006, I don’t know when I play my last match but that is not going to be in 2006”, Davenport said who is reaching the end of her career that started as a pro tennis player in 1993.

This week it is possible that 28-year-old Davenport takes the No.1 position on the WTA ranking again, knocking off French Amelie Mauresmo. She still remembers how she took the No. 1 rank for the first time. That memorable moment also took place in Filderstadt at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, taking over Martina Hingis’ place in 1998.

“I remember where I was when I was told I had reached the No. 1 spot, it was a moment to remember”, she said when someone brought up her chances for being on top again. “I didn’t expect this success, it has been a great year. I was feeling very confident and most of my shots are going in.  Now that the indoor season starts it is only getting better, I like the indoor tournaments very much. The quickness of the indoor courts suits me better than clay but I am not sure if I am playing for the No.1 race. I only practiced for the last week, having some problems with a hip injury and a pulled stomach muscle”.

“It is strange that while I am talking about retirement I am playing my best tennis in a long time. But I have to see how I play in November. I know I am at the end of my career; I will take time off from the tennis world and start a family. Maybe in two to five years I get back to tennis and start maybe commentating or working with the Fed Cup team”, Davenport knows what she wants in life but has not planned it all.

“Looking at tennis today I see that health is the dominant factor. With the two Belgians out and the Sisters gone for a while it could be anyone winning the Grand Slams. I think it's more important and difficult to win a Grand Slam than to be at No.1, it is strange that Amelie Mauresmo thinks otherwise because she never won a Grand Slam”. Davenport had both; she won Grand Slams and was No.1 on the ranking.

She had a great American hard court season this year winning Stanford, Los Angeles, San Diego and Cincinnati. She is still very disappointed not winning the US Open where she lost to winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals. She was leading but her hip started to be a hinder and she could not keep up the fight was defeated in three sets, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. “Even getting back to No.1 would not make up for that disappointment”.

“Winning the US Open would have meant a lot more, that is what I was aiming for. Choosing between becoming No.1 again at the end of the year or winning the Grand Slam it would be winning the US Open. It's great if I get to be No.1 at the end of the year but my goal was winning a Grand Slam and not be No.1”. She continues by saying that she takes a lot of pride from what she has done this year after all the injuries she had to overcome.

Saying she doesn’t want to be away from home longer than three weeks she is looking forward staying home and taking care of her family instead of traveling the world from one court to another. After winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, winning a gold medal at the Olympics and being No.1 in both singles and doubles she has a lot to be proud of. The only title missing is the French Open where she only reached the semi-final at Roland Garros, clay was never her favorite surface.

First she is trying to play for another Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title a tournament she likes very much. “This is a special tournament because of the effort Udi (Udo Cervelini tournament director, ES.) and his team are putting into this tournament,” as Lindsay praised the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix organization. Yesterday evening the girls of the WTA were waiting in line to get information on the latest Porsches, about colours and interiors. They do get a discount when they purchase a Porsche at the tournament but some of them get one for free and some have to win one. Others take the prize money and leave the Porsche where it is.