PARIS, France – From the early exits of Petra Kvitova and Kiki Bertens due to injury and illness, to the same-day exits from No.1 Naomi Osaka and 23-time major champion Serena Williams, Week 1 at Roland Garros was not short of drama. 

Here are some of the best soundbites from the interview room: 

“It is a lot to carry, but so is being Serena Williams.”

– Serena Williams, on her custom Nike kit which bears the words “Champion”, “Queen”, “Mother”, and “Goddess” in French. 

“I hope so. Well, they said for now two to three weeks off, which means no tennis, of course, because it’s my left forearm. Maybe I can play righty (smiling).”

– Petra Kvitova, on whether she’ll be ready for Wimbledon after being forced to withdraw from Roland Garros with injury ahead of her first-round match. 

“It takes lots of willpower, I think. It’s amazing what she does and how she still keeps going and still motivated to play. It’s amazing. Even today, I was playing against her and thinking, you know, I’m not sure I will be here playing at that age. But she’s a great player. Still can challenge everyone on tour.”

– Elina Svitolina on Venus Williams. 

“I was really looking forward to this match, because Kerber, I like her very much. She’s actually one of my idols, and when I was young I was looking for her game, how she’s playing. When you step in on the court and you know you play your, I would say idol, you just gotta show your best.”

– 18-year-old Anastasia Potapova, after her 6-4, 6-2 win over Angelique Kerber in the first round.