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WIMBLEDONJune 28, 2015Petra KvitovaLONDON, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: It gives me great pleasure to introduce the reigning Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova. Questions, please. Q. Must feel great to come back as the reigning champion and see all the courts. How do you feel after a year you had to take a couple months off. Do you feel back in form? PETRA KVITOVA: For sure, it's really nice to be back. I really missed it all year. I'm really glad that I can be able to play here again. I'm getting better. Unfortunately I get sick in Eastbourne. Every day is better. So I hope on Tuesday will be good form. Of course, the preparation, because I got sick, wasn't perfect. But I'm trying to find a good form. Q. You said maybe you didn't have the best preparation to come here. Is it adding any extra pressure to defend the title knowing you're not 100%? PETRA KVITOVA: Well, as I said, I hope on Tuesday I will be ready for 100%. But, of course, I missed a few days of practice. But that's how it is. I have these experiences from before. I can still be able to compete. I hope it's going to be the same. The pressure, the nerves going to be there for sure. I mean, doesn't matter whether I was sick or not. Still, when I going to step on the court on Tuesday will be the same feelings. Will be very tough and nervous. Q. What are your thoughts of the idea of one player going for all four majors in one year, and the way Serena is playing right now? PETRA KVITOVA: Well, what I can think about, I mean, it's great. I think that Serena has really great chances to do it. I think she is really big champion. She's always, you know, trying to find a good form for the important points. Yeah, we'll see. I think that she's really in the good way. Q. When you won here in 2011, you were quite honest about how you maybe struggled in certain respects. Do you feel much better prepared for coming back and defending the title with a bit of extra experience behind you? PETRA KVITOVA: Tough to say. Of course, the experience which I have I think can help. But, I still think it really doesn't matter. When this Tuesday will come, it's still there. It's going to be nice. My parents are coming as well. They get an invitation. It's nice to have them here. It's going to be special again. I'm really looking forward to step there. The feelings, the nice memories will be better than the nerves there. Q. When you think back to your two titles, 2011 and last year, are there one or two memories that always stick out or is it a blur in your mind, those moments of winning? PETRA KVITOVA: Of course, was the match point is probably the best memories from both titles. I think the last year was more special for me. It was really great journey through the tournament. The holding the trophy, once again, was great. So that's the best memories which I have. Q. How significant was your win over Serena Williams in Madrid to sort of where you stand now going into this Championship? PETRA KVITOVA: For sure for me was great win. I never beat her before. So for me was a good match. I really played well. I knew what I have to play. That's what I think is the key if I want to beat her. But it's still long way if I going to meet Serena here. Q. Is there a mental barrier to playing her and beating her? When you do get that win over her, it reassures you it can be done? PETRA KVITOVA: I think that every match with her is different. Doesn't matter if you going to beat her once that you're going to beat her again. It's not like that. I think Serena is one of the players which you can really beat, but not every day. So I think it's still very open. That's how it is. Q. You took a couple months off this year. Can you tell us how it helped you to come back fresher? Would you advise it to other pros? PETRA KVITOVA: I think a lot of athletes want to have a break, but they didn't do it. But anyway, I mean, I feel much better than before. I'm really happy to be back on the court to play tennis, to really do what I love. That's the important. I recharge some batteries, for sure. I am really glad I am able to compete, will do what I want. I think it was really tough decision for me to miss the two big tournaments during March. I did do it. I'm glad that I did it. Q. Did you feel like you had to take a step back? PETRA KVITOVA: I just felt exhausted and tired from everything, so that's why. Q. Can you talk a little bit about the final at Wimbledon. Were you nervous at all or were you just in the zone? PETRA KVITOVA: Of course, I was nervous. I remember last year before the match I was really nervous and I couldn't really even eat. You know, the stomach was so small, I didn't really put food through. But when I step on the court, was totally different, you know. I had experience from 2011, and I knew if I going to step on the court, it will be much more nicer for me and feeling better. Of course, the all of first set, which I really played well, can come back and play really strong. After the first set, I think the nerves was a little bit better for me. I was feeling better. In the second still, as I said, was still thinking about every point. In the end of the match, I got nervous again (smiling). Q. As defending champion here, what is your opinion on the clothing policy at Wimbledon? Roger Federer described it last month as ridiculously strict. PETRA KVITOVA: I think it's the same as last year. I didn't really find any difference. I'm okay. If they have to do it, I'm okay. I don't have any troubles with that. Q. Would you not prefer to wear a little bit more color? PETRA KVITOVA: No, I'm okay. I like white, so it's fine. Q. The player that you beat last year, Eugenie Bouchard, has had a difficult year. How difficult is it after you have that first big year to sort of back it up? Do you remember after you won in 2011, what was the attitude of always having to be your best now that people know you're one of the great players? PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, unfortunately I remember it quite freshly (smiling). That year when I won here, I was still playing quite well. I won the WTA Finals I think the end of the year and I finish as the No. 2. The next year was more difficult for me. I was really fighting for No.1 spot, but I didn't make it. I didn't really play well in the Grand Slams. Finally it came last year, but it's took me a while to get back on the track a little bit and play well. I think that everything which came with winning Wimbledon, it was really difficult to handle it. For me, before I didn't really have this kind of expectation. I didn't know what's I should expect from that. For me was really a difficult time. Finally I know how I should deal with it. Q. Can you feel players playing harder against you now that you're the one to beat? Can you feel that on court or was it just something inside of you? PETRA KVITOVA: You know, I think sometimes I feel like when they are going to play me, I think it's more relaxed for them. I think they know that some kind of points they really don't have anything to lose, so I think they are playing more relaxed sometimes. I remember when I was younger, it was the same feeling for me. I probably know how they are kind of playing. Q. Do you know your next opponent from The Netherlands? PETRA KVITOVA: I didn't play her. I hope that David for sure will find some good points. I know that she's kind of player who she likes to play aggressive serve, really aggressive game from the baseline. That's I think how she going to play. That's going to be tough to be ready for each point, be ready for the service game and return game. We'll see. Q. Heather Watson was applauded earlier this year for breaking taboo and talking about what was phrased as girly things. How much do you think that affects other females' players game? PETRA KVITOVA: To be honest, I think it's quite tough. Of course, I have these experiences from before. It's never really easy to deal with one more tough thing. I think always the beginning of this kind of period, it's tough. I think that for normal woman, they know about. If we have to play the match or training or something, it's difficult. It's one more extra thing for us. Q. Does having to wear white as well... PETRA KVITOVA: No, I think it's fine. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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