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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 10, 2017

Magdalena Rybarikova

Wimbledon, London, England

M. RYBARIKOVA/P. Martic

6-4, 2-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just tell us how you feel going into the next round about the state of your game?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Oh, well, it's obviously amazing feeling for me. I'm in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, which obviously was my dream. Now it's happening. I would never say it could happen.

So, yeah, I mean, the match was very intense today, and it was very difficult to play Petra. She played very good. I think at the end it was a good match. So I'm happy that I went through.

Q. Coming into the tournament, many people were saying how wide open the women's field is. How do you feel about the chances for you and the rest of the women remaining?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, I had very good grass season. I was quite confident about maybe first round, and I was not thinking more. I mean, when I saw the draw, I was thinking that I can make it and I could be in the second round, but I didn't have to have some pressure or something.

Then when I saw the second round, I was like, okay, that's going to be very difficult, because I think Karolina was the favorite to win this title here. I know she won recently just Eastbourne.

So I knew it's gonna be amazing, tough match. I mean, somehow I won that match. And then obviously it was more open. But I had to beat such a player like her.

Now, I mean, I'm speechless about everything right now. I'm so happy.

Q. You'll be playing the winner of Coco Vandeweghe and Caroline Wozniacki. Do you know either of those players well? What would you expect from either of them?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Yeah, I mean, I just recently played against Coco in Roland Garros. I won that match, but obviously here it's gonna be totally different, if she's gonna win, obviously, because she play so well. I mean, on grass she serves amazing and she plays so fast. She doesn't give you much time to decide anything.

So, I mean, I think she's also one of the favorites to win this title with her game. She has totally game for grass. If she's gonna win, then it's going to be extremely difficult.

If Caroline, you know, we know, everybody, Caroline is great player. She was No. 1 in the world and she can play on any surface. I mean, she moves so well. She doesn't miss much. Again, another amazing, tough match. I'm glad I'm not the favorite for this match, I'm sure. I can just enjoy it.

Q. Does that take the pressure off you a little bit, knowing that?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Sure. I don't think I was the favorite of any match. Even, I mean, people, I guess, they expecting me to win because I beat Karolina, so I supposed to beat Lesia or Petra. But it's not like that. They both play very well. Petra, she just played fourth round Roland Garros from qually. She beat amazing good players. She just, also from quallies she made fourth round so she really played amazing today and all tournament.

I don't think so I was favorite, but I have also good form right now, and I just use it. Yeah, well, now I'm in the quarterfinals.

Q. As you said, you may be confident on grass because your playing style suits this surface. Can you talk about how you enjoy playing on this surface?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, I was always enjoying to play on grass. It was my favorite surface. My first WTA title was on grass. It was in Birmingham. So it's really -- I just enjoy. I mean, I think it fits my game. I play a lot of slices. I go for the volleys. I serve well.

That makes easier for me to play on grass. I always had my favorite Grand Slam like Wimbledon, and I played the junior final.

But then I think eight years in a row I lost in the first round, so it was very difficult for me. But I had also very tough draws at the time. But I couldn't make it through. Then one year two years ago I made third round. Then I relax more, so it was not in my head that much. Right now in the quarterfinals. So I guess it really fit my game.

Q. Two months ago you were in ITF tournament and you won the title. At that moment, did you picture yourself playing this good in two months?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: I mean, not at all. This is amazing. This is like a fairy tale, I would say, because last year after Wimbledon I had to go for two surgeries and I haven't played for seven months. This is amazing. I just played first tournament end of February and then I played few tournaments in March. It was my first tournament after such a long time.

Then I played Gifu and Fukuoka and I win both. But I was still -- it was great that I won the tournament, because I knew I have still game to come back for top 100. I was still, back in my head, it's still ITF. It's not WTA tournaments. I haven't played against a top 30 player. And then I won Surbiton. I won Ilkley. And I made semifinal in Nottingham. Then I was starting to believe more because I was playing with more top 100 players but still not top 30.

Right now I already played also with top 30 players. It's good. It's really good for me and good for my confidence that my game, it's back, and I would say right now it's even better than it was before my surgery.

Q. There were a lot more men's matches being played on Centre Court and Court 1, which means high-ranking female players are playing on the outside courts. As a female player, do you think this is an inequity in tennis, in combined tournaments?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: I mean, to be honest, really, I enjoy watching more men's tennis, like myself, really I mean, it's -- I don't want to say it's something bad, it's not like that. But I just enjoy it more. I mean, I think also for the spectators it's more enjoyable to watch -- because it's such a name like Federer, Murray, huge names, and I think they deserve obviously to be on Centre Court and Court 1.

For me, myself, I'm happy to be on any court because I'm right now in Wimbledon so I really don't care which court I play. So, I mean, I really right now I just cannot answer these questions, but for me it's right now doesn't matter. I don't know for other players because they play also very well. And there has been some very good matches. Even they told me about my match against Karolina, the people, so many people they enjoy the match, and that was very good match. So I'm very happy that I played so well, that match on the Centre Court.

Because sometimes girls they win like 6-1, 6-2, and I don't know if for spectators, but sometimes it's boring, I would say. But now these matches are amazing right now. So many close matches and so many players. If they are ranked like 80 and they can play such a good match against top 10 players, I think right now it's very good how it is.

Q. Going through one surgery is tough enough, but you went through two. Did you ever say, This is too hard, or, I'll never really get back? What was your process like that?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Well, yeah, it was very difficult, but I was very lucky that my surgeries went very well. I mean, the wrist supposed to be four months and it was four months, but the knee I had struggle because the doctor told me it's going to be good in one month but it was good in four months.

I was hoping to play Australian Open but I could not make it because of my knee. But then, I mean, both doctors did great job, because now I really -- I don't feel at all my wrist or my knee. It helps for me to play like pain-free, you know, because I was playing a lot of matches with the pain last year. It was so difficult to be on the court like that, and I didn't enjoy it at all.

And right now it's so great to be like that. It was very difficult, and yeah, maybe when I would play the first tournament and if I was still in pain I would think it's going to be difficult to come back, but I was lucky. I was really lucky from the first tournament I played semifinal and I played really well, and my knee and my wrist was 100%. So I took lot of time to be really healed, and I think that was very good decision.

Q. Hantuchova just announced her retirement. Could you talk about what she meant in Slovakia? Did you have contacts with her? Was she an inspiration for you or not?
MAGDALENA RYBARIKOVA: Sure. When I was little, she was my idol because she was so fast. I mean, such a good player. When she was 18 already she won I think mixed doubles Grand Slam.

Of course she did such amazing results and she was playing really well and we are friends, we are good friends. She's a very nice person.

I mean, I think she's gonna give -- I hope she's gonna stay in tennis and she's gonna give us something more, you know, something from her experience. It would be great. I think because she has so much experience, she's very smart girl, she played very smart game, it would be great for us that she would stay in tennis. I think even she's gonna do it. So really hope so.

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