	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 21, 2017

Caroline Garcia

Kallang, Singapore

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously your first time here in singles, but you were here in doubles. How do the two experiences so far compare?
CAROLINE GARCIA: Very well, for sure. It's a great experience to be part of the top 8 in singles this year.

I think my experience to be here in the past year for doubles helped me to get myself more comfortable since the beginning. For sure, it's very different to be here in singles. You have way more things to do, but it's a pleasure to be here, and I really enjoy it.

Q. How has the break been after Beijing? I mean, how much did you really, really need it? And did you need it more physically or did you need it more for the emotional and mental side of things?
CAROLINE GARCIA: Well, the week I had after Beijing was pretty busy, actually. I didn't have a lot of time for myself, but it was nice to be back in France and see the family. We were busy all day, but it's nice problem to have (smiling).

It was very nice just to rest a little bit. I didn't play tennis in the week, and I just did some physically to get ready my body and recover for all the three weeks. Yeah, it was nice to settle down a little bit.

Q. Coming into Singapore, you're on an 11-match winning streak and back-to-back titles. Winning so many matches in a row, what does that do for your confidence, and how does that translate on court, whether in practice or in competition?
CAROLINE GARCIA: I mean, I don't feel very different on court winning 11 matches straight than not. I mean, it feels good, for sure, to have so many wins like this behind me, but I know tennis can go very fast in one way or another. So I'm just staying myself, staying humble at practice, keep improving, keep working out.

I know all these matches was very hard. Some were very tight, and it could change from one way to another. So I just keep doing what I do the best and keep working out and stay focused.

Q. Your title run in Wuhan, did that in any way give you some courage in Beijing when you faced match point against Svitolina? Did that give you, like, the courage that made you feel brave enough to go for that backhand down the line when you were facing match point?
CAROLINE GARCIA: In the backhand down the line is something I'm working on, so for sure it's, on this match point -- without this match point, nothing of these weeks could be possible, so it was very close to do not make to Singapore. It's kind of something I just inviting myself at the last minute.

For sure, these match points against Svitolina was very important. I just went for it, even if I miss couple of them in the, couple in the game before, but I know I have to go for my shot, and I cannot wait and she was not going to give it to me. So I just went for it, and it worked.

Q. What do you make of the Red Group and being drawn into that group with three players who are going to make you hit an extra ball and make you run quite a bit? What are your thoughts on the group and the draw?
CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, it's kind of like there is a group, like, with all the same player style and the other one it's very aggressive player with Muguruza, Pliskova, Venus, and Ostapenko.

I think it's great challenge for me. You know, to improve, to learn a lot of things to get experience to be ready for next year. And, yeah, I mean, Halep, Svitolina, Wozniacki are the best we can do in this kind of styles, and they will have to make me work from the baseline, try to be very aggressive, play with my shots. I can't ask for better match to play, for sure.

Q. Does it give you any confidence that you beat Halep and Svitolina just a few weeks ago in China?
CAROLINE GARCIA: I mean, it give me a little bit confidence, but I know the Masters is the Masters, and every match is very different from one to another. So everyone want to play even better than before.

In Beijing it was different condition. I know these matches are going to be very different, and I'm ready for even a bigger fight. So it's going to be great matches, for sure.

Q. Two questions. I know you don't have a choice, but do you think this group suits you better than the other one?
CAROLINE GARCIA: I don't know (smiling). I mean, actually, it's kind of the same, you know. It's the top eight players in the world, so you cannot really choose. I mean, I couldn't choose, anyway, but I don't know. It's very different -- like, in the other group it's almost only a very aggressive player, very powerful. My group it's a little bit different. But it's not -- there is not one better than the other.

Q. And also, where were you when you heard that you qualified? Were you in Paris, at home, or were you following the scores?
CAROLINE GARCIA: No, I was in women's soccer match, and I receive a call from my agent saying that Konta was injured and was pulling out of Moscow, so that mean I was qualified. So it was actually a little bit weird to be happy that someone is injured, if I can say something like that. But, yeah, I was expecting a very stressful week in Moscow, so I don't know if I can say it's better to qualify like this, but I was definitely very happy to be in the battle for the last spot.

Like three weeks ago I was not very expecting something like that, so to be qualified at the last minute it's something great and for my end of the season, for sure.

Q. Back in 2011, Andy Murray said that Caroline Garcia is going to be No. 1 in the world someday. What are your thoughts on that?
CAROLINE GARCIA: Ah, yeah, everyone know it, I think (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, at this time in 2011 was difficult for me to manage the pressure that went with his tweet but because I was not ready in my game and in my head, so I took a lot of experience from it. I mean, I work out every single day to make this happen, so I know it's a long way, but I'm getting there slowly. I do my journey, and I will see how far it bring me.

Q. The format obviously is different, tournament format, and I think I'm right in saying it's different to the doubles where it was straight elimination?
CAROLINE GARCIA: First year I play was round robin.

Q. So are you mentally prepared for the round robin format? Because sometimes that tends to throw people, especially if they lose twice and win one and still progress.
CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, in the past two years, it's a player who only won one match in the round robin who won in the Masters. We know everything is possible until the last minute. Every match it's already very difficult. Everyone is battling very hard, and now that you know that you can make it even with one win, you still believe in yourself until the last minute. So it's very interesting, and I'm sure the drama will be there, for sure.

Yeah, I mean, it's great to finally have a chance in tennis even if you have a bad day and come back and still have a chance to qualify.

Q. Can you imagine the next few years any of these eight players becoming a dominant player, or do you think we have to get used to there is no dominant player in the ladies tennis, so none of you will be dominant like Serena or other big players before? So certain days anybody can beat anyone or anybody can lose against anyone?
CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I think this year and the last couple of years outside of Serena there is a lot of players will change, but I think we can see that, like, for example, Muguruza or Halep are here now since couple of years now they have qualified. So I mean, there is always a change in the generation, and we can see a couple of players, young ones coming, and for three of us it is first time we are here.

I'm sure there is like a new generation coming, but there is more and more players who are staying at the top since couple of years now, so it's difficult after someone like Serena, but she's still coming back, so we have to be ready for her, for sure. We got used to have someone who was dominating the women's tennis, but now it's a little bit changing, but we can see some players who are still in the Top 10 since couple of times now.

Q. This isn't your first time in Singapore, but I'm curious what you make of this city, and maybe getting here a little bit earlier, have you gotten a couple of opportunities to explore? What do you make of Singapore? Have you been able to do anything special since you have been here?
CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, we arrive Tuesday night, and I already got a chance to visit a little bit Singapore in the past year, but this year I went to cooking lesson, and it was definitely very nice and very good. I felt lucky to have this experience, to share this experience with someone who was able to do it since very long time. It's not often I can see outside of the tennis court and the hotel, so I really enjoy it, and it was a nice time, for sure.

Q. I know you're pretty active on social media. You came out with your #FlyWithCaro. Any expansion plans? Any desire to change that?
CAROLINE GARCIA: What?

Q. Your hashtag, how do you come up with it? Do you have any expansion plans to maybe change it maybe next year?
CAROLINE GARCIA: No. That's the plan of the hashtag. Just stay with it. No, it came up like couple years ago in Fed Cup. One of the team members, we were actually, I appreciated a lot, came up with it, like, I don't know, I was playing and this week in Fed Cup was actually a very special week for me and for the Team France. I just celebrated my win like this, and after on the social media just the fans come up with #FlyWithCaro. We thought it was a nice one and funny and different from all the others, so we just stay with it.

Q. This year you have talked about the importance of learning to stay in the present, not thinking so much about the past or future, but in this situation with that trophy next to you, is it tough to stay in the present, given everything that's going on this week?
CAROLINE GARCIA: For sure it's very important to stay in the present and enjoy every minute, and you can still think about the past or the future, but you have to learn how you work, and for me it doesn't work for me very well. So I just try to enjoy every minute. And actually, we are very busy every day, so it's kind of difficult to think about the next day, or everything every day flies away, so I just really want to enjoy. And I know it's a great experience that not everyone can have it, so I just want to live every single minute the most I can.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297