Arantxa Sanchez Vicario: I told Kuznetsova we could be on the same side, she replied: «I am Russian»

Spain team captain at the Fed Cup Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in an interview to the Russian newspaper Sport-Express spoke about her relationship with Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuztsova.

«She arrived to Barcelona at the age of 14 and when I saw her, I immediately realised she was special. She was physically strong, so I thought to myself: if she gets a bit more powerful and confident, she can achieve great things. Afterwards we travelled together and became good friends – she was like a little sister to me,» said the four time singles Grand Slam champion.

«Now we represent two opposing sides, but we just laugh it off and shake hands with each other after the game. I once asked her if she could join my team. «I am Russian,» she replied.»

«It is true that she dropped in the rankings, but she can bounce back, all she needs is some stability, and that is all to do with the mental attitude,» said the Spaniard.