	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

BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 22, 2016

Garbine Muguruza

Kallang, Singapore

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Garbine.

Q. Welcome back to Singapore. This year you're coming back as Grand Slam champion. Does that feel any different from last year?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Honestly, I don't feel very different. For sure my tennis year has been different winning a Grand Slam, but for me, my feeling is the same.

Being again here I have another opportunity to be the best eight players of the year, so I don't feel like anything has changed for me to be here and to prepare for the tournament.

Q. Last time you went all the way through the round robin without losing a match and then went out in the semifinals. Do you feel there is more pressure on you this time to go further?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: More pressure? Um, I don't think anybody has a lot of pressure in this tournament, because it's the best eight. Everybody here has won a Grand Slam or finals or a lot of tournaments or world No. 1.

Everybody can lose with everybody. I remember last year was an incredible battle. I ended up exhausted and I was playing singles and doubles. I think this year is going to be good for me to concentrate only in singles and just try to win in the round robin all the matches I can to feel good.

Yeah. (Smiling.)

Q. Congratulations for being here. In Linz you said that nothing could change this happiness you have for winning a Grand Slam. Your season was made by this. Does this mindset put you in a good mood to be here and just enjoy as a whole? As you said, nothing can really top it.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No. I think no matter what I did in the year, if I want to go to a tournament like here, it's very special. I just want to win as much as I can. Obviously like I said before, winning a Grand Slam, I mean, nothing can ruin that. Everybody dreams and works and fights for that.

I've done it this year, so this is going to be always in the back of my mind. But here is another world. I'm looking forward to start.

Q. My question is: How confident are you winning this WTA in Singapore this year? Second question is: How do you keep yourself free from injuries? Thank you.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think everybody that is here is confident and they see their chances to hold the trophy. This is the best eight. Everybody can beat everybody. Everybody is doing everything they can to hold the trophy, including me.

About injuries, well, I deal with injuries a lot in the past, like three, two years ago. Lucky that now I feel good and far away from injuries. It's all about work your weak parts of your body, a lot prevention. If your elbow is kind of bad you got to work a lot so you are safe with that.

It's just about prevention and knowing your body.

Q. You've been here last year. Now that you played the WTA round robin format, is the preparation any different compared to the normal tournaments you play in?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, I don't think so. It will be like the third time in my life I played the round robin thing. No, I'm going to practice. I'm going to think about my next match; after my next match, like a large tournament kind of. That's how I think. Just to try to win every match and that will be fine.

Q. And what does it mean to you personally to make it back-to-back tournaments at the WTA finals?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I was thinking this the other day. It feels so good to be back here. It means you have been one the best eight players of the year, and it's proved there. I feel part of something incredible. Everybody is here fighting for the last trophy. It's a great achievement. No matter what happens, for us to be here is already a great thing.

Q. You're in the same group as Aga, and the last time you played was last year the semifinals here; you lost a close three-set match. Now you have to play against her again. How do you fell about your chances?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Aga is just a very tough opponent. I remember in the last match we played here she played really well. I think we both played really well. It was a battle.

But all the matches I play against her are very difficult. I know I will play against her, I mean, maybe the next match, but I have to first concentrate on my first one and then we'll see what happens. But every match here is crazy, so...

Q. What could you have done differently from that match, that semifinal against Aga?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Not be that tired, I think. Because Carla, we are like in semifinals in doubles, I am semifinals in singles. Oh, my God. I'm exhausted. And then Aga was just on fire. She couldn't miss a ball. I'm like, Really?

So I don't know. I think just to play at the same level for sure. I will have my chances. I think I had my chances over there also. It's all about three points.

Q. How does it feel being a Grand Slam winner at such a young age, relatively young age? Is it more difficult in the sense that you now have a target on your back?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think I have a kind of target, yes, but I don't think why I should complain about that. I think it's an amazing place to be.

I was thinking the other day, doing like a little recap of the year and stuff. I'm like, I got to remember that like in one year I did two Grand Slam finals, because I did Wimbledon final and then the French Open trophy. I was 22.

Come on Garbine. Who was the last girl that did that? So kind of it motivates me and to think about something good.

So I think it's amazing.

Q. Physically how are you feeling just with the way that things ended in Linz? Is your leg, ankle okay?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, it's much better. I kind of freaked out in that match because when I twist my ankles they go really swollen. They're delicate. I'm happy that I didn't have anything important and I'm here with my physio working. So far it looks good.

Q. You practiced on the court a little bit. How do you see the conditions this year? Different than the last year, do you think?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I don't remember, but I think it's so slow. It's so slow. But I think it's going to be hard matches in that surface. It's indoor. I don't know. But I love the court. It's such a great show and environment, so we'll put the effort there.

Q. So with the slower court should we expect to see you up at the net a ton this week?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think I am always trying to go to the net honestly. It's part of my game. Sometimes I do more or less, but it's there. I think that it's going to be long points and long matches in this court.

Q. You won the French Open. You're a Grand Slam winner. What do you think has been the toughest moment this year then?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Winning the French Open. The good one and the bad one kind of. You know, like winning a Grand Slam makes you like, Okay, I did it. I did something that I was really looking forward and fighting and was kind of my dream.

After that, there is such a different -- like you see everything different. You have such a high moment and you have to go a little bit down. You just have to play with that. It brings a little bit more responsibility to you.

Sometimes it's hard to deal with that, but I'm learning. I think every year I'm like doing a lot of different things so fast. My career has been so fast.

But I will not change at all. It's a privilege to feel like that and to have that in my bag, in my closet, the trophy, every time I go back. I think it's all good.

Q. You've played in Singapore couple times. Anything specific about the tournament here or the environment? What do you like best about playing in Singapore?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: They ask me this question the other day. I really like about Singapore, even though it's a city and looks like a downtown city, I feel it's a lot of tropical environments, a lot of green trees. I don't know, nature.

There are a lot of cities that don't have even a tree, so that's good. I like the weather. I'm a fan of warm places. I think the city is very clean. Last year I went to Iceland in Sentosa Co there last year. Very, very clean. I spent a week there and I had fun.

So I don't think this year I'm going to have that amount of free time, but I will try to do something.

Q. Everyone looked so happy sitting up there on the stage last night in your nice dresses and everything. Did you feel any compassion for Johanna Konta who dressed up nicely as well but couldn't really take part in it because she doesn't know if she's playing or not.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: That's tough. We were joking a little bit. She was like looking at us like this. It's amazing that this is happening, that there is one girl that has to win. That's the worst. I think it's so tough for both of them. For sure Johanna is thinking, Oh, if she wins I'm not going to be able to play. The other one is like, If I win I qualify.

So it's such a weird moment. I think it's bad because she cannot enjoy it. I think she had an amazing year. She improved so much. She's top 10 now. So I think she deserves also to be on stage with us. I don't know. It's like that.

Q. My question is: How would you promote as a tennis player to encourage woman to join WTA?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I don't know if it's actually WTA, but I always try to, I don't know, show that I look forward for something. Since I'm a kid I always dream to be good in my case. I really work hard for that. I try my best. I want to show to other girls that if they want to do something and they really put their effort, like me, like other girls, they can do it.

It's basically more about looking forward to something and going for it. They can run, they can study, whatever, but that self-power, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297