Greg Rusedski

UK time, midnight, Princess Diana was in that tragic car crash in Paris.

So I was watching the TV that evening, having to get ready for my fourth round match.

Um, you know, I watched it for hours on end.

We called Lucy's parents.

We called my family because obviously living in the UK, they would probably be asleep on a Sunday night, but I had to basically say, okay, I've got to turn off the TV.

I've got to get ready to play my fourth round match.

I have to put everything to the side.

And as a sportsman, you have this mentality, having worked with a sports psychologist that, you know, you need to get your minimum eight hours of rest, um,

to basically prepare be ready for the event and be ready to play so i wake up that morning we see the tragic news my agent calls me before i head to the practice courts to get ready for my match and he says uh what are you going to do greg i'm like what do you mean what am i going to do he said there's not a sports woman or sports man in all the united kingdom

that is playing until after Princess Diana's funeral on September 6th, which was the semifinals of the US Open, my 24th birthday.

So you had multiple things there.

And after 18 years of work, there was no question I was going to play.

So we sat down, we said, we're going to

wear a ribbon to commemorate princess diana for as long as the matches i'm i'm involved in um you know they wanted a statement so obviously the statement was i felt very deep sadness for her two sons prince william and prince harry during this difficult time as well as the rest of her family you know so i put my statement out won my match in straight sets again then played cry check on the wednesday i played he was the wimbledon champion of 96 again one in three sets i was into my first major semi-finals let out a roar

Get back to my hotel room.

The telephone rings and I put a block on my phone and they say, I have Mr. Elton John on the phone for you.

I'm like, are you kidding me?

And somebody's having a laugh because I thought somebody was having a prank.

And it was actually Elton John wishing me up to say, good luck.

I'll be watching on the weekend.