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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 15, 2017

Garbine Muguruza

Wimbledon, London, England

G. MUGURUZA/V. Williams

7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, and welcome to the new Wimbledon champion, Garbine Muguruza.

Q. Not so long ago you were losing 1 and Love in your first match at Eastbourne. Today you just bageled the five-time Wimbledon champion in the second set and become Wimbledon champion yourself. How do you explain that contrast? What's happened in the last two and a half weeks to make that possible?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, Eastbourne was such a short tournament, I didn't play well there. But I did the week before, so that helped me.

I always come very motivated to the Grand Slams. I don't know. Since I lost the final here, you know, I wanted to change that. I came thinking, I'm prepared, I feel good. During the tournament and the matches, I was feeling better and better. Every match, I was increasing my level.

I think today, you know, I played well.

Q. You mentioned during the week you would walk past the honor boards and notice all the names there. Tell us the feeling when you walked out and saw your name this year?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, it was amazing. Like I said before, I always look at the wall and see, you know, all the names and all the history. I lost that final. I'm like, I was close. I didn't wanted to lose this time, because I know the difference. I really know the difference of making a final, which is incredible, but...

So happy that it's there now.

Q. It looked like when you saved those two set points in the first set, you never looked back after that. Tell us what went through your mind after you fought through that moment, what changed for you after that?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: You know what, nothing went through my mind. I was expecting the best Venus, because I saw her, and she was playing very good. I knew she was going to, you know, make me suffer and fight for it.

When I had those set points against me, I'm like, Hey, it's normal. I'm playing Venus here. It's not...

So I just keep fighting. And I knew that if I was playing like I was playing during the two weeks, I was going to have eventually an opportunity. So I was, like, calm. If I lose the first set, I still have two more. Let's not make a drama, you know.

Q. How satisfying is it to get to such a big match and produce a performance that good?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: What it takes?

Q. How satisfying is it?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: How satisfying.

Well, very satisfied because I never knew how it was going to go because I was very nervous, you know, tense. I wanted it to go my way. I was doing everything I could to be prepared.

Once you step on the court, you know, you see the crowd, you see the final, you see I'm here playing another Wimbledon final. So very satisfied the way I handled it.

Q. Over the last few years, it feels like you've had one amazing slam every year. How can you have four? How can you be this player every time?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Exactly. You know, is very hard to find, like, a recipe to feel good fitness-wise, tennistically [sic], mentally. I think in this tournament I put everything together, which is very hard.

Normally, you know, you're tired, I feel pain here, my confidence is not there. So I felt this tournament I find somehow, you know, to put everything together and perform good at every level.

Q. You mentioned on court the idea of growing up watching Venus play. Is there any specific memory you have you could share of seeing her play when you were younger? What meaning or significance do you think it has that you're the first woman to beat each Williams sister to win a Grand Slam title in the final?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: When I knew I was playing Venus in the final, I was actually looking forward for it. You know, people were surprised when I said in French Open, that I had Serena in the final. No, I'm like, But that's the final. A Wimbledon final with Serena and Venus... You know, she won five times, so she knows how to play.

For me was a challenge to have her, growing up watching her play. Everybody start laughing. But, in fact, is something incredible.

I don't know, I was so excited to go out there and win, especially over somebody like a role model.

Q. Can you talk about what it was like as a young girl, a young teenager, were the Williams sisters your idols? Were you obsessed with them as a tennis player?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, I wasn't upset -- I mean, like crazy about it. I have two brothers, and I was watching a lot of men's tennis also.

But in the women's field, you know, the Williams sisters were a big, you know, shock there and they were winning a lot. I was watching them, seeing them, they're in Wimbledon, US Open.

I don't know. Like I said before, it's great to go out there and play somebody that, you know, you admire.

Q. Of all the ways you could have envisaged winning Wimbledon, could you possibly have dreamed of beating someone like Venus 6-Love in the second set?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, I just felt, like, good. I won the first set. I wanted to go my way the fastest as possible, just not get too complicated. But I know it's hard.

I'm happy that it go. I played very well since the first game, and I kept the level, which is very hard because, you know, you're, like, nervous. You see you're winning. You say, Oh, maybe I win. This kind of feeling.

I was just very composed.

Q. Sometimes you said in the past it could be difficult for you to handle your stress or your emotions when you were in a match. It doesn't look like it happens for the Grand Slam finals. Do you see a reason why you seem to play those big matches that well?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I do what I can, honestly. You know, in every match I feel like I'm nervous, because I think it's a good thing. And here, I don't know, I think once I go to the big court, I feel good. I feel like that's where I want to be, that's what I practice for. That's where I play good, you know. This is what I would like to.

I'm happy to go to the Centre Court and to play the best player. That's what motivates me.

Q. When you were a young girl thinking about grass courts, what was your exposure being able to play on grass courts? How do you feel now about coming from Spain to being so comfortable that you're the Wimbledon champion?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, was rough. At the beginning, you know, I didn't like grass. For sure I suffered, you know, to play and to handle it. It took me a while actually to calm down, to say, Hey, it's grass, you have to adapt to the surface.

Once I did this Wimbledon final, everything changed for me because I felt like, Stop complaining, your game suits this surface.

Since that moment I'm, like, I like grass and I'm going to look in a positive way. It maked a big difference to see it that way.

Q. How old were you when you first got to play on grass?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think it was the Wimbledon qually, 18 or 17, yeah.

Q. You've now won a Grand Slam with Sam and also one without him here. How much more confidence does that give you in yourself that you're able to give your best tennis no matter what the coaching situation is? Is it at all more relaxing being without him?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: No, definitely not. I mean, I was talking with him every day. You know, I just talk with him actually before.

You have to think that my level tennistically [sic] doesn't change, no matter who is in my box or not. I'm the same player.

You know, we've done a very good job before. Obviously I like Conchita to be in my team because I have a great relation with her.

I guess it's a combination, like I said before. We were very excited that she actually -- the coincidence of her winning Navratilova, me winning Venus, there were a lot of things there, was, like, awesome.

Q. I think it's fair to say trying to be the defending Roland Garros champion was a burden for you at the time. You're going to have to do this all again. Does that give you more confidence to know you can go ahead and win the big titles and hopefully defend them?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, it's not easy. It's very good when you win it, and it's hard after when you come back and you know you have to defend it. But that's a good problem to have.

It was tough obviously, because you know you have a lot of matches to go. You wanted the trophy back.

But I'm happy to be in this situation. You know, I'm happy that once again I see myself winning a Grand Slam, something that is so hard to do. It means a lot. It means a lot of confidence, like you said.

Q. You played fast and furious. You mentioned you grew up watching the Williams sisters play. I heard that your brothers also went for broke. Can you pinpoint a difference that makes you play the way you play? Does it run in the family?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Well, at the beginning, you know what, I was playing lobs. I was playing lobs. I was in defense, running, let's say more Spanish style on clay court, more physical.

But then my body start to change. I grew up a lot. My arms were longer. I felt like I had to adapt. Also the professional circuit, it's not a lot in clay court, it's a lot in hard court. I have to be more aggressive.

I found my game going that way, more aggressive. I'm a tall person. Taking my chances. In grass, actually it works very well.

Q. In the first set you lost many points from the forehand. In the second set it looked like that confidence started coming. They were deep and in. Was it the hunger to win this title that made you believe in that shot?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I went out there and maybe I was too aggressive, you know, too hungry to win the point. I was missing few shots maybe too early.

But they were long, so I was not that worried because I knew that eventually they were going to go inside maybe deep. So with the match and feeling more comfortable, feeling more in the court, they were getting in.

I thought it was just a matter of time, of going through the first nerves of the match, then that's it.

Q. You mentioned before the coincidence with Conchita beating Navratilova. Did you know sentimentally the favorite was Martina then and Venus today? Was it more difficult? What did Conchita tell you exactly to face this strange coincidence and atmosphere?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: You know, I don't know who was favored out there. I try to block all this kind of stuff. I learned since the last Grand Slam match. I'm like, Doesn't matter who is the favorite here. We both have 50/50 chances today.

Q. I'm talking sentimentally favorite, for the people.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: For the people.

Q. She's 37, older, like Martina.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: But we want new names and new faces, so c'mon (smiling).

I don't know. She just told me to go out there and forget about all of this. Try to think it's another match. I played two finals before, I more or less know how to handle them. A little bit of everything.

Q. Who of the male finalists tomorrow night would you like to dance with?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Oh, c'mon (smiling).

Q. No, c'mon (laughter).
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Roger (laughter). And I like Cilic, I have to say seriously. But I want to see if he's that elegant also dancing.

Q. You said you admire Venus. We know she's won many titles. What do you admire that she's either given to the game or her as a person?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I'm just very surprised that she's hungry to keep winning. She has won almost everything. She's not any more young to be looking forward to all these matches. She just shows this toughness. I don't know.

I don't know if I will be like this with her age. Probably I won't because she's the only one. She keeps winning, makes two finals Grand Slams this year. She's probably one of the best players today.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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