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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

September 25, 2016

Garbine Muguruza

Wuhan, Hubei, China

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your expectations for this Wuhan Open?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: My expectations? I don't have really a lot. I know last year I lost in the finals here, but this year is a new year. I try to don't think really about last year because it just doesn't matter. It's a new year.

But I'm happy to be back. This is a huge tournament for us, so hopefully I can go deep in the tournament and, you know, just remember like the same feeling as I had last year.

Q. This is your second time at the Wuhan Open. Compared with your last two years, what are the changes of the Wuhan Open from your perspective? What are the improvements? What do you think needs to improve?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think Wuhan has incredible installations. Makes sense in English? Facilities, facilities. I mean, it's huge. It's so big also the area. I feel like every time I come, they have better, like, locker rooms. Inside for us it's much better. We have sofas, we have more places to relax. I don't know, just kind of details like drinks and food. The food is also very good at the restaurant.

I think every year they're doing great stuff because I think the facilities are already incredible.

Q. Last year you came to the Wuhan Open. You had interactions with your fans. Many fans took pictures with you. They are crazy about you. I want to know what is the feeling about your fans?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think the fans here are very funny. They're really involved. They really know you and come to you, try to look for you.

But I think it's great for us to have that environment. When I go to practice, there's people there cheering, looking, clapping. Also when I go to play.

I think that's very good when you feel welcome, when you feel like people wants to see you. I think that's the best feeling. I mean, that's why we play. We try to win so people can enjoy and get to know us. Well, I think it's much fun.

Q. Is the power still with you or do you feel anything on court?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I didn't understand this one.

Q. Once you mentioned that you are powered by fearless tennis.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Fearless.

Q. Is the power still with you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think I have a very aggressive, fearless type of tennis. Sometimes it's very risky. It can be hard to be that type of player where you take a lot of risk. Sometimes, well, is not going your way.

But I think always that by doing this style, sooner or later I will have my payoff and my opportunity. But I think I'm still the same type of person. Like we say in Spain, we really look forward for stuff. You're not like shy in there waiting.

Yeah, still in me.

Q. Last year when you came to Asia, you managed to kind of bounce back from a little bit of a dip in form. You finished the year really strong. This year, how do you feel coming in? What do you think you can learn from last year so you can finish the year the same way or even better?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I don't know how this year is going to go. I'm the same person, but just in a very different stage.

I mean, last year at this part, after that Wimbledon, I really wanted to feel like I'm going to do everything I can in the last swing so I can finish well. I always have this feeling.

This year I want to do everything I can so I can go on holiday happy. I don't want to have this on the back of my mind.

I don't know. I just don't try to think a lot about the other years. I know is a new year. Nobody really remembers or cares who won last year. You know, doesn't matter anymore because now it's: Who is going to win this year?

So I'm just happy to be back. I feel nothing can be sad this year after winning a Grand Slam. No matter what happens for me, is an incredible year already. So I'm very happy to be able to be back here. Hopefully do it like last year. I'm not going to say better, because is going to be hard, but just like last year.

Q. Was the loss at the US Open one of those that makes you pause and reflect a little bit? Did it take a lot of time to get over it and bounce back?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, that loss was tough for me. I was sad about that match because I'm always very, you know, happy to be in a Grand Slam. That's the tournament where I like to play and I'm really motivated there, but I played bad.

I went out there. It was a huge stadium that I like also. But, I don't know, I was too nervous. I wanted too much to win. I wanted too much.

Sometimes I feel like there's certain days where I look like she doesn't look like maybe is super happy, but it's because I want too much, and it's actually going the other way. So I think it's as bad to want it too much than not to want it too much. It was tough for me.

But, hey, I had time to practice. That's a good part. I went home and I worked, and now I feel much better. Let's see if it's pay off here.

Q. You ended last year very well. How do you keep the momentum through till the end of the season?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I don't know how to keep it. I'm just trying to every time I go to play a match to have fun, good level, try to do what I practice every time. When you practice, you kind of feel good. But after when you go to the match, it's like an exam: let's see if I can put on the match what I've been working all these months.

I don't really know the secret. I just go out there and try to be concentrate and calm because sometimes it's hard.

Yeah, I don't have like a real specific answer.

Q. This year has been a bit different than the previous seasons in that you won a slam, Kerber won two, Serena won one. Serena is not No. 1 anymore. Do you think that changed the landscape of the women's game? Do you feel it's a different ballgame?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think this year, 2016, has been a crazy year for a lot of things, you know, that happened. But I'm happy that we have a new face in the world No. 1, not because I have a preference, but just because I think it's good sometimes. It's about time also to refresh a little bit.

But, yeah, for sure, things are changing. I think last year the winners of Grand Slam was like also Serena, all of them. I think to have variety is good. Better if I'm one of those faces.

I think Kerber did an amazing year. Very surprised about her. She should be very happy.

Q. Talking about the No. 1, Serena was No. 1 for so long. Do you think that the No. 1 ranking, the player ranked No. 1, that it's more than just being the No. 1 ranked player, that there's leadership responsibilities or something more than just having the number next to your name, that there's more to it than that, if that makes sense?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I feel obviously every tennis player wants to be No. 1. Everybody is like, Oh, my dream will be... After, it happens or not.

It's funny, because when you are like 3, you realize, I want to be 2. When you're 2, you want to be 1. When you're 1, there's a lot of other things. I don't know. You for sure start thinking, I want to be No. 1 not for one day, but for more time. You start to feel, like, that responsibility. Hey, I'm the first one here.

For sure it has some weight in your back. But I think that's a privilege. I would like to have that responsibility, for sure. But as good as it is to be No. 1, it has dirty and heavy things to carry. Whew, it's hard.

Q. Sometimes, besides obviously Serena's dominance, there are players that would break through, but they don't continue, there's not consistency. The way that Kerber won two slams this year, is there a way that can answer some critics and say, Oh, no, it's just not Serena who is dominant, there are other players who are able to string together good results? How important do you think it is for women's tennis to have this kind of consistency?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I think in the woman's tennis, it's hard to find people that is always constant. Like you said, I think it's maybe the way we play sometimes, which most of the girls are very aggressive. Some days they play good, some days they play bad.

But I think Kerber is an example this year that she was very all the time there. Every tournament, she's in the last rounds. That's why she became No. 1.

There's not a lot of players, but the one who achieves that maybe for one year or for two or for her entire career is going to be at the top level.

It's funny how you can be sometimes 3 or 2 by winning two tournaments, and some players are like 9 and they're quarterfinals every tournament.

Sometimes it's very - I don't know - strange. But for sure is better to be constant and there. For sure it brings more improvement to your game. I don't know. You just settle down a little bit more.

Q. In New York you were very vocal about the craziness of the city, how it's difficult to get used to. Here in China how do you compare it to that experience? What do you do in China to take your mind off of tennis?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I did feel like it was a little bit crazy. It was funny because my last match was against Sevastova in Arthur Ashe. I go to Tokyo, everybody is like so, so polite. In the stadium, I'm like, What happen here? There is not even one noise. It was funny.

What do I do in China? Well, I just arrived yesterday. I think I'm going to play not tomorrow but on Tuesday. So I think not a lot.

I don't know a lot about Wuhan actually because I never have time. Last time I reached the final and every day I had to play a match and then I left.

But there is so beautiful places in China. We're always just in the city so I kind of don't have time to go outside to the countryside and see.

I don't know. I'll manage. I'll try to find something to also help me to, you know, tennis, social life.

Q. Have you listened to the Wuhan song that they played in the opening ceremony now?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, I missed the ceremony. I missed the players party. I missed the ceremony. I missed everything. I came yesterday at 12 in the night from Tokyo. I'm just new. I came right now to the site, so I didn't see.

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