	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2016

Garbine Muguruza

New York, NY, USA

G. MUGURUZA/E. Mertens

2 6, 6 0, 6 3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was wrong physically that you called the trainer after the first set? How were you feeling the rest of the match?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I started and it was difficult a little bit to breathe for me. It was really humid. I don't know. When you feel the heat that makes you a little bit, like, down kind of, you know.

I was talking in the locker room a little bit with the physio. Was kind of like similar to Australia, you know, where is hot.

I forgot that there was the ice towels and everything. So I start using them, trying to breathe a little bit better, I don't know, taking more calm just to, you know, go with the match.

But I didn't remember that was that hot in here. I don't know why I felt this today. It was like really, really humid.

Q. Were you not feeling well before the match or was it just the heat of today that made you feel unwell?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, I kind of felt this also in the practice two days ago, that I'm like, Whew, this is hot here.

Today in the warmup I didn't feel it. It's only half an hour in a warmup. It's only a warmup. But as soon as I started the match moving and running, also with the competition makes you more tense. I guess that, yeah.

Q. You mentioned the next player, you don't know who she is, never seen her play. How do you mentally prepare for a game like that where you just don't know your competition?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, it happens more in the Grand Slams at the beginning of the rounds because there's a lot of people and sometimes you don't know the opponents.

But today was the case. I went to the court and I didn't really know the opponent. You play and you do your stuff. You kind of see a little bit during the match how she plays, but you cannot know anything before.

It's like that. I don't know.

Q. Coming in as the 3 seed, a Grand Slam champion, somebody not really known to the public here, how does it feel to come in with higher expectations? Does that raise the confidence level and your own expectations of yourself?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think is different. If I would say no it would not make sense. Someone that, I don't know, has reached the last rounds of the tournaments or, you know, the important moments every time you go to a tournament, you believe, Maybe I can do it again. You have more expectations, that's for sure.

But I got to play with that. I have to go on the court, try to don't have in my mind all the time, Hey, let's go for this match, let's try to win this. That's the way.

For sure maybe a lot of people is talking. All this kind of stuff that I cannot control. If I cannot control it I don't put it in my bag, you know. I'm minimizing and doing everything very simple around me.

Q. Some people thrive on the environment here; others find it daunting. Where do you come in there? Do you enjoy this atmosphere?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: You mean in the court?

Q. Yes.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yes, I felt there's more movement, more noise, more stuff. But it's well known also because of the environment and the crowd and the vibes, I don't know, that feeling that brings New York.

I think it's also special to feel. I don't know. There's a lot of people. They're watching you. Maybe it's not as silence as Wimbledon, that everybody is like this, but I enjoy a lot also.

Q. Aside from the tennis, can you enjoy the city of New York? Anything besides tennis?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: You can enjoy. For me it's difficult during the tournament. I came one week earlier here to prepare and everything. In those days I have more chances to, Hey, let's go watch this show. This is the city of shows. There's 10 every day and restaurants and everything.

Once I start the tournament I'm very, I don't know the word, like in a cave. I'm in my room. I do simple stuff. I don't go to a lot of places. I just try to keep my energy with me and not going there and there and there.

Q. You came here early this year?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I came one week early.

Q. Shows or anything?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yes. Where did we go? We went to a Mark Anthony concert. I loved it. I was dancing. I have to say, there was all womens. Not one man in that concert.

And are trying Greek restaurants. I love Greek restaurants. Italian and steakhouses. I love the steakhouses. I just discover places.

Q. Did you have a lot of media appearances for sponsors? Was that part of that week?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yes. Here is where they're all more or less based. This is the part of the year where you're more compromises, or, I don't know. It's just more people, more sponsors, more people that want more time from you.

Yeah, it would be more here. You have to really schedule everything.

Q. But you also have to train.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yes, because between this, this, this, I have to practice, go back 10 blocks, one taxi.

Q. First round match, having difficulty breathing, playing against somebody you never played before, it's very easy to panic. Did you ever come close to that? Did you ever feel like you were panicking? If not, how did you reel the match back in?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, I don't feel I panic. I think I always have a chance. I'm there. Even though I'm down 4 1 I always try to see what can I do to turn these things around.

Maybe you're like, Oh, this is dangerous situation, because you feel that you're like 4 1 or in the third set you know last set.

These kind of things, I think all the players feel that. But you always have to focus and, Okay, what should I do now to win this point? How can I turn this set? Where should I play? You kind of think about something else.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297