Mauresmo: Olympic medal ceremony left its mark on me
For Amelie Mauresmo, winning the silver medal in singles at the 2004 Athens Olympics was a bitter-sweet experience.
Five straight singles wins in Athens put the then-25-year-old Frenchwoman through to the final of the Olympic Tennis Event, only for Justine Henin to abruptly end her hopes of a gold medal.
In a battle between two of the sport's sweetest single-handed backhands, the Belgian won 6-3 6-3 to ensure that it was silver, not gold, that would be draped around Mauresmo's neck in the ensuing medal ceremony.
"That particular moment really left its mark on me," remembers Mauresmo. "When you win a silver medal in tennis it means that you've just lost in the final. You don't have time to take a shower or even get out of the stadium. You're told to go out of the court for five minutes and then you go back for the ceremony. I was very, very, very disappointed.
But that's when the enormity of the Olympic experience took over.
"Within a couple of seconds I switched because there was a huge level of emotion coming up and a real pride that went beyond tennis," admitted Mauresmo. "[You realise] you're about to bring a medal back to your country and it's about all sports, not only tennis. There's a real emotion despite the fact that it's not the Marseillaise you're hearing. It was something very strong.
Athens was not Mauresmo's only involvement in the Olympics. She also participated, as a 21-year-old, in Sydney in 2000, but fell in the first round in the singles before she and partner Julie Halard-Decugis ran into eventual champions Serena and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals of the doubles.
Disappointment in Sydney fuelled her desire for Athens, though Mauresmo admits that her determination to win a medal may have somewhat tarnished her ability to fully enjoy the Games.
"I was going to Athens to win a medal, and I joined only one thing; the opening ceremony," she said. "At first I wanted to stay in the Olympic Village, precisely to stay focussed, but I was seeing everybody leaving and I was p****d off, so at the last minute I decided to go.
"After that I did nothing else, you stop following the other competitions, you're focusing on your own schedule. I think the Olympic experience can be different, depending on your expectations."
At least, for Mauresmo, memories of her success are still strong. While her silver medal is currently not in her possession (The FFT asked me if I could lend it to their museum after London 2012, so I did. It's still there - I didn't take it back!)," she does have another daily reminder of Athens lying around the house.
One memento she held on to is a wreath made from an olive tree branch that was presented to her along with her silver medal on the podium.
"I still have it at home, on a piece of furniture with other trophies," Mauresmo said, adding: "It's dry... it's great!
This story features quotes taken from the ITF Olympic book, published in Summer 2016. The coffee-table publication features more than 100 Olympic and Paralympic tennis medallists reflecting on what their medal means to them, told through exclusive interviews and specially-commissioned photography.