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ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2017

Garbine Muguruza

Paris, France

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. You have obviously been asked the question at the draw ceremony, how different does it feel, first time you have been at a draw ceremony as a defending champion? How much of a difference does that make emotionally heading into your first Grand Slam as a defending champion here?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, honestly I was expecting a little bit more of, I don't know, like emotional feeling, coming here, but I'm actually, I don't know, normal. I consider myself as another player in the draw. I'm starting fresh.

And, yeah, of course I had fun in the draw ceremony. I was with Novak. We make few jokes and stuff. No, we didn't want to see the draw at all, so, we're like we're doing this and we're leaving. We're not staying to see.

But good, I think it's just a new perspective. Last year was last year. I got the trophy already. So I won't obviously feel that again. But that's it. I'm not really thinking a lot deep.

Q. Do you know who you play first? You play Schiavone first round, two former champs. Thought about that matchup as being a big way to start your tournament?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, I think it's an interesting match. It's very strange to find first round two past champions. And I saw her. She's playing good. She played Bogota and another tournament where she reached the final or won. So I think she's playing good on clay. It's a good match to start.

Doesn't matter really who I'm going to face. It's gonna be interesting tournament for me to see how I can play, how my feelings are. And that's it.

But I look forward for it.

Q. How about your recovery of your neck injury as you were forced to exit in Rome?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, that was, like, I don't understand how that can happen, really. But I did a bad movement playing with somebody, and I still feel it. It takes a little bit actually to go away. Well, I mean, with my team, with my physios, I feel for sure much better than Rome.

Q. What is your memory of arriving to Paris last year? Like what were you thinking at the time before obviously we saw what happened? But those first few days, what was it like for you?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, you know what? I don't really remember. I always, when I come here, I'm excited. It's just a Grand Slam. And, you know, I remember last year, I did quarterfinals the year before, so I was, like, happy to be back. I played good here. I had good matches. Let's see if I can break that quarterfinals, you know, wall there.

But I was not really thinking, because the weather was like so upset the first days, and this was all the time in my mind.

Q. Does it feel like a different kind of tournament when somebody like Serena isn't in the draw? And also, can you address Petra coming back obviously after her terrible incident?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I think it makes a difference, because if you look at the paper, Serena is always in the final. So for sure it makes a difference to not have her for a good reason (smiling).

And I feel like there is 10, 15 girls that can win the trophy. So that's not normal. Before is not like that. There was always like few favorites. It's kind of weird to have a lot more. But this year is very open. I feel like a lot of people can win.

I didn't see Petra at all. I saw a picture that she's here. I knew -- I wasn't sure she was playing or not, but then I saw she's playing.

So I think it's good. I think it's terrible what happened to her, and it's so good she can come back, I don't know, still play and still be part of it. Because she has two Grand Slams in her bag. She's a really good player.

Q. Was it difficult to digest your victory here last year in Paris and set up new challenges for your career?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: No, it wasn't hard to really -- I think it was hard for me to think that I should reproduce that. So that created a little bit of, like, frustration. Oh, I won a big tournament. It's kind of -- I know it's very hard, but how can I not play like this every week, or if I have it?

So I just learn that it's there. It's very hard to perform like that. That's it. I didn't really thought about it. It comes with a lot of things winning a Grand Slam. And it's after when you know -- you don't know before that you're going to do a lot of things, this, this, this, and a lot of people are going to see you as a possible champion every week and expectations.

But other than that, no.

Q. The start of the year you said I don't want to think about 2016 anymore. It's 2017. I just want to get on with my career. It's hard to shake 2016 when you're back here just because it's everything. But does that make it more difficult? Because for the first five-and-a-half months you have kind of tried to keep very focused on this season and not look back too much. Now that you're back here, everything kind of comes sweeping back, I would think.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, I think it's normal. So I was expecting here everybody was gonna remind me last year. It's incredible, for sure. But I did kind of reset, because I start from zero every year. And the previous winners of every tournament, because there is always a new tournament coming. I'm just making like a space here. Let's remind. But after, once I'm going to go out of here, I'm just gonna focus on this year and just keep it like that.

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