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U.S. OPEN

August 26, 2016

Garbine Muguruza

New York, NY, USA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, Please.

Q. There were a lot of changes on the grounds. Wondering if almost like a different tournament there were so many changes, curious what you make of it?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: You mean here at this tournament?

Q. Yes.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I got the opportunity the other day to practice Arthur Ashe stadium, and it was my first time. I don't know. The roof was gigantic (smiling). I actually enjoyed it a lot.

Yeah, they are improving a lot every year, it's so great for us. It's great coming here to see that they will take care of us, and it's going well.

Q. How important do you think that slams continue to improve and update while still maintaining that historical perspective, as well?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think it's great. Grand Slams are the tournament for us. There is only four, and everybody -- you know, it's a dream to win one. The fact that they are improving and going every time a level higher, it's incredible.

Q. Do you feel more positive going into this year's US Open compared to where you were last year?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think so, yes. Last year was a little bit tougher, but I'm always positive when I go to a tournament. Always have like a new mindset. Got a new opportunity, and it's a Grand Slam. I'm excited here. I love Grand Slams. I love New York. I'm looking forward to start and see what happens.

Q. I hope you're doing good and in good spirits. For U.S. Hispanics, what does it mean to represent a whole group of Latinas that look up to you, not only from Venezuela, but the Spanish side? How do you see the sport at this time for young women like you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I feel obviously great that people from Latin America, Spain, and a little bit from everywhere they look at us, look at all the players like a reference and a way of, you know, achieving something, like something you want to become being successful.

So I feel very happy and honored to feel like that, if that's the case. And for sure I'm very happy that Latin America there is a lot of girls maybe want to start playing tennis, so they have maybe more for people to look at. That's great.

Q. How has your approach to slams changed over time? If you compare, you know, how you felt or the emotions or how you treated slams maybe three years ago compared to now, what's been the most important maybe change that you have made?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, more and more, you know, that the Grand Slams are the tournaments where you have to kind of perform your best or at least try. So when a Grand Slam is coming you feel that you have to be more prepared. That's the tournament.

I don't know, you have like - not different mindset, but it's very important. When you are younger, you know, all the tournaments are like more equal or you're more happy. You're not -- like how (asking for translation). Sometimes you really don't know where you're playing.

Now over the years you realize, Hey, that's the tournament I've got to be ready and hopefully win.

Q. What is the possibility of reaching No. 1 in the world mean to you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think everybody that is here right now wants to be No. 1. For sure it will be incredible achievement. I don't even know what you have to do or -- I'm not really thinking about that. I'm just thinking what I have to do to winning my rounds and my matches and hopefully get to the last match and win it.

But I think it will be incredible, like all the players.

Q. How do you look upon the way you're playing right now and also the way Kerber and Serena Williams are playing?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think I'm playing well. I think I'm improving a lot of things. Not maybe tennis, tennis like in matches. I think I'm improving a lot of my fitness, getting stronger, getting more experience. Also a little bit of tennis, but a lot of things I'm improving around.

About Serena, Serena is playing great, like always. I think her style is hard to change. I think she's playing great.

Kerber, Kerber I think made a huge improvement. She's playing incredible. Incredible. So I don't really know what she change, but for sure she's doing something different.

Q. What did you think you learn from your Wimbledon experience this year?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: What did I learn? I learned that I have to really -- when I went to play that match I felt like exhausted. Like I woke up that day like, I have to play a match today. I feel tired. I think recovery and more concentrate my energy.

Those matches are important ones, you know. Maybe I trained too much before or didn't rest enough, or, I don't know, there is something not balanced there that week. I was a little bit tired.

Q. This week in New York the leadup to the US Open, how do you balance all of the activities and being in Manhattan and the rush of it all, making sure you're focused and ready for the tennis?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I feel this tournament is the most tricky tournament because there is obviously a lot of things. There is always traffic. There is always noise, people. I don't know. Everything takes a lot of energy.

(Indiscernible - photographer interference.) No, this is two blocks only. I have to concentrate on, A, time to rest, time for this, time for that. Just schedule everything well. Priority is always to be rest so when you take a racquet, you know, you have energy to perform.

Q. Do you feel that even more so than Paris, Melbourne, or London?
GARBINE, MUGURUZA: Yes, I feel like here is harder, because I don't know for whatever reason is more complicated. Just because it's more, I don't know, big city. Huge city. Huge everything.

Q. Are you surprised how quickly the No. 1 discussion has kind of begun? It's been a long time since we have talked about the ranking potentially, and it seems like the last couple of weeks now the discussion is much louder.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I feel the discussion is much louder a little bit, but because also there is more movement. Before maybe the other years we had big distance like compared to No. 2 or 3 or 4, but this year things are changing a little bit.

There is couple of players that if they do really well and whatever the situations are, they can reach No. 1. So that creates a little bit of juicy comments (smiling).

Yeah, I feel a little bit, but I guess it's normal.

Q. How does it being an Olympic year change how you prepared for the US Open? It was only a couple of weeks ago you were down in Rio.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I didn't prepare anything special for Rio. I think I already prepare -- well, I tried to be very well prepared in every tournament. That was in the middle of the season, so I tried to take it like another Grand Slam or important event. I couldn't really do something different because of the calendar.

But, yeah, it was really great to play for the first time.

Q. What was your reaction watching the way Monica won the Olympics final?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I saw the video. I was happy how she reacted and I think it's a great story. That's the kind of story that everybody likes, I don't know, to see. And, oh, wow she brought the first gold medal for Puerto Rico. I was like, that's a huge achievement. I felt happy for her and what it means for Puerto Rico. I guess it's a big thing obviously for her, for sure.

But I was happy. It was a great story.

Q. Would you say the madness of New York matches with your personality, or do you not like it?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I like New York, but not for a long period of time. I think it's so, you know, like heavy city. But I'm not that city girl. I like more (indiscernible). But I like for the US Open to spend a couple of weeks here, yes.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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