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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

September 25, 2016

Angelique Kerber

Wuhan, Hubei, China

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your expectations for this Wuhan Open? Fans are looking for the game between you and Serena Williams. Serena Williams retired from the Wuhan Open. What do you think about that?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I'm really happy to be here in Wuhan again. I had great memories from last years. Yeah, of course being the top seeded now, that puts a little bit pressure on me, but I will not think about that. I will try to focusing, like, on every tournament to going out, enjoy every match here.

Of course, with the fans, I'm really looking forward.

Q. How does it feel now that you've had enough time after the US Open to go into a tournament? Does it feel different being No. 1 and a two-time slam champion?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know if it feels different. I mean, I'm still the same person. But the two weeks at home, that gives me a lot of relaxing and a lot of power again, a lot more motivation. I had a few days' rest. That was really important for me after the U.S. trip.

Now, of course, the last trip of the year here in Asia, I'm really looking forward. I will try to enjoy everything, try to play my best and let's see. I'm looking forward to now play the next tournament after New York.

Q. A lot of the players have been talking about you today. They all have great things to say about you, how you deserve this, how it's so nice to see you at No. 1. Have you felt this kind of positive reaction from the players and people around you in the locker room?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I'm feeling this because everybody is coming to me and 'congrats' and everything. This is really nice to have the respect of the players.

Yeah, it feels good to being here and to see, yeah, it's positive energy. That's a good feeling.

Q. Has it sunk in completely that you are No. 1 in the world? Right after the US Open, lots of emotions. Now that you have had time to reflect on it...
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Of course, after New York, when I came back, a lot of things change and happen again. But when I came back home and relaxed few days, then I was recognize what's happen in the last few months.

Right now I know it's not a dream anymore, and I know that I reached the top and won my second Grand Slam. It's a great feeling still.

But we are here, new tournament, new matches. This is the challenge for me for the next weeks.

Q. When you went back to Germany, please tell me you celebrated somehow this accomplishment. Did you do anything to memorialize this milestone?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, when I came back home, like, a lot of things and a lot of people came to me. I don't know, it was different than after Australia. I knew what came, so that was good, because I have the experience from Australia.

But I just came home, and I was really, like, enjoying every day at home, first of all. After the eight weeks of the U.S. trip, I was just trying to enjoy every moment at home.

We celebrate actually, yeah, at home with a nice dinner, with music, with friends and family. So more easy. I was really tired after that. I was like, Okay...

Q. Now that you've had some time to think about it, what feels bigger, the fact that you won two slams or the No. 1?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's different. It's really different. Before, like one year ago, if somebody asked me, Would you prefer to be No. 1 or win Grand Slams? My answer was always, First I would like to win a Grand Slam and then the next step is to be No. 1. Like I said then, to win a Grand Slam for me, it was always the biggest dream, but then to reaching the No. 1 was the second one. To do it in one tournament, that was really special.

I think I will never forget the two weeks in New York with all the emotions, all the positive feedbacks what I get. That was really, really the best feeling that I had in my career.

Q. You showed a lot of mental strength in New York, handling the pressure of No. 1 and winning the title. Is it one of the areas you are most proud of over the past couple of years?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I'm really proud about my mentality, how I improved there. I had a lot of pressure, starting in Cincinnati actually, with all the questions about the No. 1. Then after Wimbledon, of course, going to the next Grand Slam. This is what I handled really good. I think that was also one of the keys why I played so good in New York.

Q. You are the favorite to win this tournament. Does it make you feel stressful or excited?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I'm actually more excited. I know that I have the pressure on my shoulders because now nobody has to lose something against me. The pressure is always on my side.

But at the end I really looking forward to take this challenge. It's a new situation for me. Yeah, I will try to not thinking too much about this because I learned from the years before that I have to really focusing on every single day here. It's a new tournament, new opponents. That will be my focus this week.

Q. You talked about the pressure because you are the Grand Slam champion and the new No. 1 in the world. How will you deal with it? Many players want to beat you.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, every player would like to beat me now. So I will just try to going out and not thinking about this. I'm going out to think like they are: to beat everybody on court as well, to win the matches. I think when I'm going with this focus in the match, like I did also the last few months and tournaments before, that worked. So I will try to continue that.

Q. Have you had a chance to maybe sit down and talk to Torben about what comes next? It's one thing to chase and to have a goal. At this point you've checked off the things that you wanted to do. What does that conversation sound like? What are you talking about for the future?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: We talk, first of all, about this trip because it's still not over, the year. We have still few tournaments ahead. That was actually our conversation. We're really trying to focusing on every single tournament now.

Of course, Singapore is one of the biggest goals, the last tournament. That was our conversation.

I think for the next year, our goals and everything, we will speak about that after the last tournament. I can go for nice holidays.

Q. And year-end No. 1, I guess that's one more thing you're chasing. Does it take any pressure off at all that Serena is not playing here and in China? What would that mean for you to get year-end?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, right now I'm not thinking about this because right now I will try to find the new situation to being No. 1, going to the tournaments like the No. 1. This is for me, first of all, the next goal, how to deal with this, the next challenge.

Being No. 1 of the end of the year, it's still not so in my mind. Maybe in few days, I don't know, but not yet.

Q. How different do you feel coming into this tournament after winning the US Open compared to when you played in the Middle East after you won the Australian Open? Is it night and day, similar?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's maybe not similar. It's a little bit better because after Australia I was really like, Okay, what's happen now? It was a completely new situation for me.

Now I know how to deal with this, so it's a little bit easier to deal with everything, with the expectation, with the pressure. It's a little bit different than after my first one.

But it's a new situation because now I'm the No. 1, as well. I think I can't compare it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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