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WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2016

Heather Watson

London, England

A. BECK/H. Watson
3‑6, 6‑0, 12‑10

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In terms of disappointments in your career, where does that sit?
HEATHER WATSON: For me today, that was one of the worst. I wasn't pleased with the match in general, how I played. And obviously having match points in the match, not being able to win here at Wimbledon, like, is the worst.
Just, yeah, I take losses badly anyway, but this is one of the worst, so...

Q. When you had those match points, did you feel you maybe could have pushed harder? She hit the line on the third one.
HEATHER WATSON: Well, the first one, I just missed a return. I should have been more focused that point and at least make a play. Then the second point, it was literally the first backhand down the line she'd hit the whole match. She hit a winner. So fair play. The third one, she hit the line.
There wasn't too much I could have done. Maybe on the return I should have gone for it, gone all out, because I had a second serve there. I thought it was 40‑30, I'll work the point.
With hindsight it's always easier to say, I should have done that. But I didn't. It worked out earlier in the game, but I thought I was playing the score.
I don't know. I mean, going back, I obviously wish I would have just blasted it down the line, but I didn't, so here we are.

Q. Was it all the more frustrating having worked your way back in?
HEATHER WATSON: It was frustrating because I shouldn't have even been in that situation.
Like, yesterday, I don't know what happened to me in the second set. I just started missing a lot. I have to give her credit. She's a wall. She doesn't miss anything. On important points, she raises her level.
But, like, I didn't get beat today; I made the errors. I didn't have winners flying past me. I wasn't outplayed. I let her back into the match.

Q. How hard is it to recover from a loss like that in terms of time?
HEATHER WATSON: Life goes on. At the end of the day, it's just a tennis match. It's not the end of the world. There's a lot more bigger issues going on in the world right now.
So I just have to just reevaluate everything on how I can improve in my training, on the court, off the court, playing points differently in a match, just getting better really. I just need to improve.

Q. How hard is it when you have to stop and start again? That's not easy, is it, having to do that?
HEATHER WATSON: It's the same for both players. I've been doing it this whole grass court season. Even on the clay court season. I had three or four during Roland Garros.
It's just part of the game. You've got to refocus. You'll have ups and downs. You'll have to stop when you're feeling good and vice versa. That's just the way it is.

Q. How bright a light is the Olympics at the end of the tunnel you're looking at right now?
HEATHER WATSON: Well, I packed in my schedule this summer so I could make that cut. You know, that was my priority, and I'm so glad I've made it. But it's cost me in other areas.
But that was my number one priority this year. I wouldn't change it, so...

Q. When you say it cost you in other areas, can you explain?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, like, I had this ab tear the whole of the clay court season. I had to play through it. Because of the grass court season, I wanted to play all the tournaments. I didn't get the time to recover from it fully.
I was playing matches where I wasn't recovered. Even if you lose those matches, it does play on your confidence. Just doing the whole week in, week out thing, I've just played every week this whole couple months.

Q. You talked about looking at how you play points and training. Do you think it might be better now to have a full‑time coach with you all the time?
HEATHER WATSON: I'm not sure what my plan is right now. Obviously I've just finished my match and I'm in the worst mood ever. But one thing on my mind is to get my life together now.
I get motivated quickly with losses like this. I just really want to improve in every area and see what I need to fix, see what needs to stay and what needs to go.
I don't know yet, but I've got a lot of thinking.

Q. Have you had any more recent trouble with nasty stuff on Twitter and other social media? Do you think today's defeat is likely to lead to more of that?
HEATHER WATSON: Absolutely. It's funny you say that, I was just in the changing rooms with Naomi Broady and Tara Moore talking about it. After a loss like this, I'm so angry with myself, I feel like I need to punish myself.
I don't know. It wasn't a good day. I just went on Twitter. There was plenty.

Q. What do you feel should be done about that kind of thing? It's happening to more and more players, particularly women.
HEATHER WATSON: Is it more women? I'd say it's more women, I don't know why they bet on us because our results are all over the place. First of all, that's not very smart from them.
What can you do? There's always going to be people saying stuff. It's, like, it comes with it. You've just got to deal with it.

Q. You said you felt you wanted to punish yourself by looking at Twitter.
HEATHER WATSON: I was just in a terrible mood.

Q. Did it in some perverse mood cheer you up?
HEATHER WATSON: Definitely not. Why would that cheer me up? People saying nasty things.

Q. But you deliberately looked it out.
HEATHER WATSON: I was in a bad mood. It's like when you're in a bad mood and you bang your racquet, it's not a positive thing.

Q. Judy the other day was saying she thinks you have it in you to be a top‑30 player. It's more about consistency. Did you see what she said? Do you agree with it?
HEATHER WATSON: I didn't see what she said. But, yeah, I think that's why I get, today in particular, really disappointed in myself. Like, I feel that I'm a lot better player than this. But my ranking doesn't lie. I'm obviously lacking in areas that I need to improve in.
Yeah, I just need to go back to the drawing board and keep trying and improving 'cause I really do believe that I can do a lot better than I have done in my career so far.

Q. Has it ever gone beyond online stuff? Has anybody ever said anything to you in passing?
HEATHER WATSON: No.

Q. Would the thing to do be to stay off Twitter altogether?
HEATHER WATSON: I usually don't read it too much.
But back to what you asked. They're not brave enough to say it in person. That's why they hide behind a computer.

Q. After a tough loss, what's the key thing to get yourself back into a positive frame of mind to advance your career?
HEATHER WATSON: Well, I think the fact that I'm already thinking about my schedule, my plans for the next few weeks, I think that's already a positive in the fact that I want to get better. I'm using this loss to really motivate myself, because I could just, like, be depressed for ages. But, no, I'm not.
I want to improve because I know I can do better. So I think that's the first step.

Q. When you were sitting at the changeovers, such a ding‑dong match, searching for inspiration, did you ever think, C'mon, I have a crack at Serena if I get through this?
HEATHER WATSON: No, that wasn't my thought during the match. It was very up and down. Yeah, I was just focusing on the next point.
I thought the crowd was awesome. I had so much support today. It really helped. It got me back into the match. But I just missed out on the crucial points.

Q. How is the ab tear now and what do you expect from yourself in Rio?
HEATHER WATSON: It's all good now. Actually this Wimbledon week, it had been completely fine. Now after Wimbledon, I'll get a rest. I've still got doubles and mixed doubles.
But, yeah, Rio, I think I've got a tournament or two before Rio, as well.

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