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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 12, 2016

Angelique Kerber

Indian Wells, California

D. ALLERTOVA/A. Kerber

7-5, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When did you start feeling physical problems? Looked definitely by the end your leg was bothering you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually, she was playing not bad today, you know. I was trying to find my rhythm and trying to play my game, but, yeah, it was not my day.

Yeah, my leg was bothering me in the last few days already, so I was taping it and I was trying it. It will be helping a little bit, but at the end the match I was feeling it a little bit more.

Yeah, but it's not the excuse that's why I lost the match.

Q. You just think she played really well?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah. I think she's a great player. She's really young, great opponent, and she played very well today, I think. Yeah. That's all I say.

Q. Are you feeling - I don't want to use the word pressure but I can't think of another word - but having to replicate or reproduce what you did in Australia every time you go out? It's a similar sort of situation that Stan Wawrinka experienced a couple years ago when he won his first major at the Australian Open?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, of course the pressure is much different than it was like few months ago. It's a completely new situation for me, that's right. But, yeah, I'm trying to get used to it.

That's one tournament I lost now in the first round, but, still, I mean, I have few tournaments to go. I will try to learn from this experience, this match, and try to get better in the next weeks.

Q. Is there anything you can put a finger on? You have had struggles at this tournament. Any reason this tournament is tough for you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No. I mean, like this tournament. It's one of my favorite tournaments. Yeah, the last two years I was not playing the best here, but I reached here twice the semis, so it's not like it's always bad.

Q. Do you feel different about your tennis? A Grand Slam champion. Do you feel a different sort of expectation on the court for yourself when you start a tournament?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's much more different because I have much more things to do off court. I'm here one week and, yeah, it was a busy week for me.

But still, I mean, I'm trying -- I have my team and I'm trying to go out there, work my tennis, improve it.

Yeah, and like I said, it's a completely new situation. I will try to get used to it and, yeah, and let's see. I mean, yeah, I'm working hard still and my game will not change. I mean, my game is like it is.

I try to improve like few more things into it, but at the end I will still play like I was playing the last years.

Q. I'm sure you would never change what happened a couple of months ago, but in one sense would you rather have all those extra duties pushed back and be like it was maybe three months or four months ago?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, because, I mean, that's one thing I was dreaming my whole career and I reached it. I won a Grand Slam. Of course still the year, it's long and there are so many tournaments. In tennis you have every week the chance to get a new challenge. If you lose first round or like early in the tournament, you have the chance next week to make it better.

But, no, I mean, it's a new situation and new experience. So I think it will be also like making me more comfortable in the next few months making me actually stronger.

Q. So you don't mind doing all the extra activities that are called upon you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No. I will try to make now a little bit less, I think.

Q. What are some of the activities that you have to do?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, of course for the tournament what I really like to do, and for the WTA, for my sponsors. So there are a lot of things to do around, you know, to make everybody happy. (Smiling.)

Q. At Australia you said a couple of times you had nothing to lose. Do you feel like now it's a different mental approach here or Doha or --
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I mean, every match starts from zero. Now I know that everybody would like to win against me and they will give everything, so nobody have nothing to lose against me right now.

Yeah, like I said, it's a new situation, new experience, and I will just try to, yeah, take the positive things also from this week, from this tournament, to make it better in Miami.

Q. Having not seen you since Melbourne - and you say the trophy only just got to you before you left - what was it like when you went back straight after Melbourne, when you went home, the people, the locals, the family? What was all that like?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: They were all happy for me, you know. They were proud. And of course the trophy, I couldn't take it with me because it was too heavy and too big. But, yeah, it was a great feeling and it was one of the best feelings in my career right now, the highlight.

Still I have still more goals, and the year, it's still long. Yeah, I mean, I'm still motivated to be better. Today was not my day, but I'm still feeling good.

Q. Where is the trophy now?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Now it's at home.

Q. Have you seen it at home?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yes, one day before I came here.

Q. One day?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah.

Q. Where is it in your home now?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's like in my living room. (Smiling.)

Q. Right in the middle?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, right in the middle.

Q. Do you think the media makes too much of a deal about the pressure of a Grand Slam champion? Physically you haven't been 100% and you just didn't play a couple of good matches, or you really do feel all of these effects?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Of course I feel the pressure, and I feel it that I have much more to do and the media is more like focusing on me right now. But, yeah, of course I was not 100% today, like I said before.

But, yeah, I mean, it's not the excuse why I lost the match. I had my chances in the second set and I didn't take it. But at the end I need to go on the practice court again, practicing hard, and trying to finding my rhythm, my game, and then going out again and, yeah, try to have good challenges against the players.

Q. What will you do between now and Miami?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know yet. I mean, I'm just finishing the match so I don't know. I will sit down with my team and we will think what we are doing now.

Q. And the physical problems, that's not something that you think will jeopardize you playing Miami?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, no, no. I have now a little bit of time, so I'm sure that I will be fine until Miami.

Q. Will you go up to Vegas and see Steffi and work with her?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I really don't know, so let's see. Let's see what I decide.

Q. In Australia you said, I will always be able to say I'm a Grand Slam champion.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: And I can still say it. (Laughter.)

Q. Now that it's a little bit past that, how has that sunk in? How have you reflected on that saying?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I mean, I can still say it. It feels still good. But of course I must now like trying to practicing again hard, trying to looking now forward and to stay in the moment, being now prepared for everything which is coming.

Yeah, let's see. I mean, I'm still happy about this, what happened the last few weeks, but I know that I have still a lot of work to do.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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