Mary Pierce has not met anyone as 'passionate as Roger Federer'

Ex-tennis player Mary Pierce

Four-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce knows the significance of running to stay fit, as she's had to do it often while battling an injury-riddled career that promised more but delivered far less. In the country, as international event ambassador of the TCS World 10K run in Bangalore, Pierce, 43, spoke about Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and her 2005 Wimbledon mixed doubles-winning partner Mahesh Bhupathi.

Excerpts from an email exchange

On Serena Williams' post-pregnancy comeback:
It's very difficult. I don't think she's back at 100% yet. Some wonder if now that she's a mom and has a more softer side, will she ever get back to how she was before. Knowing Serena, she's an amazing competitor and she wants to continue to break records. The French Open clay is not her best surface, so I wouldn't put her as a favourite, but she'll make it deep into the tournament. I'm sure she has her eye on Wimbledon.

On Rafael Nadal's dominance on clay:
Nadal is one of the best players of his generation and I'm a huge fan of his playing style. Having played extensively on clay myself, I know how good it is for your game. Clay really develops your game, your legs, your health and your cardiovascular. He has an amazing backhand and hits so deep. He's going to be hard to beat, but there are many unbelievably talented players today and having an unexpected person going deep into the competition would be exciting.

On Roger Federer's consistency:
Roger's such a great player. He's won 18 Grand Slam titles and that's no easy feat. I don't think I've ever met anyone as passionate about tennis as he is. After the Australian Open last year, I was on the plane back with his coach and he was telling me how Roger spends all his time talking and thinking only about tennis. Some of the moves he has are nothing like I've ever seen before. It's almost like it's in his blood. I wouldn't count him out of anything.

On winning Wimbledon with Mahesh Bhupathi:
All my Grand Slam wins are still very fresh in my memory. The Australian Open [1995] was my first and then the French [2000] and the doubles, I won those in the same year. Winning the Wimbledon with Mahesh [2005], I can't say it was the most special because winning the French Open singles was my dream, but Wimbledon is Wimbledon and it's such a special tournament that has so much history. Playing with Mahesh was so much fun. He's an amazing player and a great person.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates