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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 8, 2017

Coco Vandeweghe

Wimbledon, London, England

C. VANDEWEGHE/A. Riske

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Cruising into the second set 4-Love, talk us through what happened.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yeah, almost 5-Love. Yeah, I got a little bit -- I lost that game, and then, I mean, Alison is a great player, she started to swing a little bit freer in what she was doing.

You know, when you're down a set and two breaks, you'd think, you know, just kind of let loose, and then I kind of got a little bit tentative, but, you know, kind of reset myself and got back to work. Kept it close in the next service game. Got a little lucky and got that one, and then I was no way I was letting the next one go.

Q. Is that the reason for the fired up reactions at that point?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yeah, I kind of let so much slip, and it was more of a let out some frustration that I let that much of a lead slip.

Q. Can you tell me a little bit about depth and how that's changed in the many years you have been here? Seems like things are much deeper.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Depth in what sense?

Q. Last year and this year, that matches are tougher in early year rounds, too.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yeah, I think it's a little bit different, the women's game in comparison to the men's game where it's very top heavy. I think in the women's game, as you'll see, there is more upsets along the way with the seeded players, because I think there is more depth in the 20s to 30s to 40s. I think there is some very solid depth of players that can make an impact against a top player. I mean, I'm an example of that myself.

So I think it's just a different sense of the game and how it's evolving. Maybe that's because there is younger players coming through. Maybe it's because the players that were dominating, you know, earlier are not so much and they are falling down and coming back.

But I think it's some different things.

Q. I don't know if you're aware of this but you're one of five women that's serving and volleying on more than 10% of your service points. I think you're 16 for 17 so far. Do you really like doing the serve and volley on the grass? What kind of comes in, factors into your decision-making in terms of what you're going to do? Is it a variety thing for you just to get down in there?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: It's a combination of who I'm playing. I think the round of 4 against Tatjana was -- she slices a lot more because she has a one-handed backhand and floats. She's a different player than Ali. In essence, I have to do that.

I think if I stayed back, maybe the floater, she would feel more comfortable in getting the ball into play and everything like that. My idea was I'm going to take it out of the air so she can't feel like she can just chip it back and get into play and play from the ground. Against Ali, she hits through the ball more.

I mean, it's more of if I feel like I hit a good serve, I'm following it if I didn't plan that idea before. But if I do end up planning that idea, she's a very good returner when she has spots. Maybe that's more of a key factor of why I didn't do it as much today.

Q. Have you spoken to Pat yet...
COCO VANDEWEGHE: That was him butt dialing me.

Q. Does he butt dial you often?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, I was just having lunch with him earlier.

Q. How big a role has he played in your excellent form so far?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, I mean, he's present at all my practices, all my matches. He's made a commitment to the working team. So I think a pretty big impact.

Q. Your confidence level seems really high. It did at Birmingham. You looked to be, like, have a lot of faith in your game and the way that you were playing. Is that something that you have to manage a little bit in a tournament, to keep it within certain boundaries?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I don't know. I think my game runs on confidence more so than maybe somebody else. But, you know, I'm not going to be able to hit my shots if I'm thinking, Oh, my gosh, I'm going to miss, I haven't made this forehand in four tries, I'm going to miss this next one.

I think that's where my confidence kind of just rides a little bit of -- you know, I go into matches thinking that I can win, you know, every match I play, because if I go in thinking I'm already, I'm going to lose, you've already lost before you even have played the first point.

I think confidence is a huge thing for me.

Q. Quite a lot of players are working with sports psychologists and doing work on getting confidence or on managing the mental approach to the game. Do you do that, or do you keep it simple, your own way?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: No, I don't work with a psychologist. No.

Q. This is the third year in a row you've made it to the second week of Wimbledon. The semifinals at the Australia Open earlier this year. Are you starting to get used to going deeper in Grand Slams than you ever achieved before?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Yeah, I think so. Once you have done it once it's easier to do it the second time. I think the first time making a second week of a Grand Slam is probably the most difficult, second to defending it. I think that's a different kind of pressure that is self brought upon.

I think once you get there, the nerves aren't so anxious, in a way of, you know, can I do this, can I not, because you have already proven it to yourself.

Q. Do you start to expect yourself to achieve that when you have done it?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Like I said in the other question about confidence, I go in thinking I can win. I do expect it of myself, and I have set goals this year to do that.

Q. Your next opponent could be Wozniacki. What do you think of that?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Well, she's a very good player. She's a very consistent player in the rankings. I think she's very accomplished. I think it will be a fun match to play. Hopefully we'll get a good court.

Q. Being an NBA fan, you know David Lee?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Uh-huh.

Q. What do you think as a player? Are you impressed with him as a player?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I don't know. I only actually heard about him when he started dating Caroline. I don't know too much about him as a player. Sorry.

Q. You're now officially a part of middle Monday. That's when all of the men and women who remain in play play on the same day. Huge day for fans. What's that like for you to be a part of?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I have played on it before. I think actually it's a cool experience to come in and know you're part of the final few that are around. I think it's only second to when I played on the People's Sunday when it was last year and it rained so much that we had to play on Sunday. That was fun, because it was anyone who was queuing up could get in. It was a different kind of atmosphere around.

Q. Is it business as usual, or do you kind of feel that cool vibe that the fans are a part of too and you guys are all here playing together at once?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: I think I ride off of the fans. I enjoy the atmosphere that they bring, especially here at Wimbledon. I think they are very tennis savvy. They are knowledgeable in their tennis, the English crowd that comes around.

And it's also summertime. So it's fun for everyone to be out and enjoying the great weather that we have been having these last couple of days, and also the goofy costumes that come around.

Q. Have you changed your training aspects in the last year or so? I don't know if you're doing anything different or not.
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Not since this coming off season. It's been the same last October till now. I have kept the same regimen.

Q. Back on the serve and volley. I have noticed that 7% of the time the men are serving and volleying on their serve points and only one for the women, and you're one of the players contributing to that. Do you wonder why or have any answers as to why the women don't really do it as much?
COCO VANDEWEGHE: Men have bigger serves, is my assumption, but I can't tell you (smiling).

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