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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 28, 2016

Garbine Muguruza

Kallang, Singapore

G. MUGURUZA/S. Kuznetsova

3-6, 6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You don't usually get to end a season with a win. To the extent that your season is over, how do you feel to be ending with a little bit of a positive note?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I have to be honest. Going into this match was extremely hard for me. Minutes before the match I was like, This is going to be is difficult one for me.

At the end my desire of wanting to be here and competing against the best, was a challenge for me today to see how I was going to react. I'm very happy of the way I played today, the way I handled the match.

For sure a victory like today is going to keep me a little bit happier. It was a very tough tournament. I had first match a match point; then the second match was tough, but I felt I got my options in this one. Well, was too late, but I still did it.

Q. When you talk about the match being difficult, as you approached it, can you talk through what made it for you personally a tough one to play?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, it was tough because you come from two matches that you felt you have your chance and obviously you lose.

You have no options to qualify, so it's like, you know, she's already qualified; I'm not going to qualify. It's a weird situation.

At the end I'm playing to secure my ranking spot, to, you know, win against these opponents also.

So it was just tough to change the page and have a clean mind to go through this situation.

Q. Are you particularly proud of how you dug deeper? It was essentially, like you said, a dead match, dead rubber. Must be very proud of how you fought and to end the season on a winning note.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, well, it was a dead match, but kind of shows a little bit if the desire is there or not. If you're like, Oh, man this match is so, you know, you know, you kind of let it go. I'm like, No, no. I can't do that.

It's my last match, my last push. It's an important match. She's playing amazing. Amazing. It's a good way for me to see where I am.

That's it.

Q. You looked kind of emotional at the end. Was it just a combination of everything you've achieved over the year, Oh, my God I want to go on holiday now?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, I was emotional yes, because I felt I suffer a lot in the last month knowing if I'm going to qualify, I'm not going to qualify. I really wanted to qualify, and then I kind of had the opportunity to go to Linz to play, and then I twist my ankle and it was drama for me.

I was like, I can't believe I -- you know. So it was very emotional for me to be here, and then the way the matches went I couldn't make it. I was just happy that I've been through it and I won the match and I'm like done.

Yeah, it's been a hard year for me for sure.

Q. Now you can look forward for a little break. How are you going to spend the first few weeks? Probably without tennis and enjoying yourself a little bit.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I don't really plan things because I didn't know when I was going to finish here. Right now I'm just going to see how many days I have, see where can I go, who's available. Because the people that are not in the tennis world, you know, they don't have holidays right now.

So it's going to be difficult, but, yeah, I will think about it.

Q. If you look back on 2016, a lot of things happened for you, highs and lows and everything. What's the lesson or takeaways that you take from this year going into next?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, this year I just feel like it has been -- everything is going on. Because I started the year thinking, Okay, this is important year for me. I finish well the last year. Let's try to keep doing it well.

But the results weren't there at the beginning so I was like struggling. I was like, Man, I'm practicing and doing everything and I am not winning matches. So it created a lot of frustration.

Then I kind of calmed down and then I finally had the results, and then everything changes a little bit. All these responsibilities, all these emotions. Was hard for me to deal with this for the next tournaments, but, I mean, I wouldn't change anything obviously.

Now I'm just thinking about it definitely. I'm here in Singapore. Didn't make it, but I won a match.

Q. You joked in Cincinnati that you didn't want to be known as just the player who beat Serena. How do you see yourself now after a full season and some really great results along the way?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I consider myself a very dangerous opponent. I don't really care who's in front of me. Obviously the situation and the tournament, it affects me, but I always think I have a chance to win.

I don't know, I have a lot of self-confidence on my game, so I'm aggressive. I go for the matches. Yeah, I think I'm dangerous. (Smiling.)

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