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ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2018

Garbine Muguruza

Paris, France

G. MUGURUZA/F. Ferro

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. How happy are you with the way you handled this match today and just the first two rounds in general?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Happy with today. It's an unknown player. It's unknown for me. It's always tricky when you face a French, a young, talented player. Probably wasn't the best tennis out there, but I'm happy that I managed to fight and to win and be in the third round.

Q. There are not many friendships between tennis players. I know that you have quite good relationship with Dominika Cibulkova. Could you mention her and maybe mention some other players you like from your opponents?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, I get along with Cibulkova a lot. She's such a nice girl. We have played a lot of times. Also we have practiced together a lot of times.

You know, she's always a very dangerous player. She has won big tournaments. She has done Grand Slam final. Tough opponent.

I get along with a lot of girls. It's just never easy to see them all the time or to have the time to do things outside the tennis. I get along with the Spanish players also very good, yeah.

Q. Can you tell us what it takes to win a Grand Slam and once you have won one, does it give you more confidence to know you can do that again in future and hopefully here at Roland Garros?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, it takes a lot of things. I don't know really the recipe, so I would do it all the time. But it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of good matches and playing good during such a long time, because this tournament is long. Two weeks you have to really every day bring it up again and again and again. I think that's what makes it difficult for a lot of people.

Q. Can you talk a little about the pace of the court? Is it easy for you to play your shots, or do you have to really take your time and think, just the mechanics of that? Can you talk about that?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, when I'm on the court, I'm a little bit, you know, I play with my sense of "come on." It's almost like you're not really thinking, thinking, your body knows what to do. You already thought before how to play, how to handle the tactics and stuff.

So you think what you have to do, but also my body knows what to do. It's a little bit of both.

Q. You said it wasn't your best tennis, but you're through to the third round. Is there a point where you know, Oh, I know I need to do this better, but if you just get through all the time, would that be enough for you, or do you feel, I have to play my best tennis now because this is a Grand Slam quarterfinal and that's more important to show my best tennis?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: No, I mean, I'm not thinking to show my best tennis. You know, all I want is to go out there, compete, and win. Doesn't matter if my shots are not for the picture. It's fine. I'm happy with fighting, do whatever I can, to eventually win the point. That's all that matters.

Of course if you play good and beautiful, everybody feels better, but at the end just counts the result.

Q. In about a month you'll be defending your championship at Wimbledon, and I'm wondering if there were any lessons learned, things you gained from the first time you tried defending a Grand Slam title here?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, for sure. Well, first of all, I don't even think about it. You know, it's just when they ask me. It's not in my mind. Wimbledon will come, and it will be exciting tournament, but that's it. You know, there is nothing really to think about.

No, no, I learned for sure a lot of things. And it's good. I like it, because I handled it much better now.

Q. Anything about what you learned, like going through it the first time?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, first of all, not thinking so much. It's going to come naturally. It's always a tournament in summer, but I don't have to be thinking about it constantly or about how it's going to be, how it's going to go. It's just getting too many thoughts for no reason. You know, just clean that in your mind and just don't give it that much of importance.

Q. You have spoken about some of the recipes for success here at Roland Garros. We know you enjoy cooking recipes and baking. Have you had a chance to make some cookies here at Roland Garros, and if so, who have you shared them with?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I mean, I do it when I stay in a home or apartment, and unfortunately most of the time -- well, it's not unfortunately. We are very lucky we stay in good hotels, you know, but we don't usually have a kitchen or the equipment to do it.

So there is tournaments where I manage to stay in a house, but not in Paris (smiling).

Q. You're a happy girl. We saw you in Los Angeles. How do you have time to be outside and work hard, because it's clear you are working hard in tennis?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah. Well, I think it's just managing your time. There is moments to train and to focus. And with the time I'm learning that it's good to have a little bit of everything. You know, once you're done working, you did the job, you change, you put the jeans, and you do something different.

You know, I think that's also very useful. Before, I was a little bit tennis, tennis, and now I enjoy also the outside part, which actually helps me to go out there and work harder.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. You were facing an opponent that you didn't know. You won in two sets. I think that your level of game has reached the level that you wish to have at this point of the tournament?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I don't really think about it. I made it to the third round. That's the good part. I think I trained well. I'm in good shape physically.

During the match, you do what you can. There are some matches in which you feel a bit better than others.

I'm pretty happy, because it's an opponent that I didn't know, and sometimes you have to play with people who play very well who you've never played before. So you have to adjust to know how to win.

Q. I think it's inevitable that you think of what happened last year on that court. Did you think about it?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Yeah, I did think about it, because I knew I was playing a French player. So I remembered last year's experience, and I was ready to face it. I was ready to face anything.

Q. What did you think of Ferro's level?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I think that she played well. She did a very good match. I know she's young. She isn't that experienced in these kind of matches or this kind of tournament. It was difficult. So the important points I played better than her, but it was a difficult match.

Q. In Wimbledon I think that every press conference you mentioned that you felt calm. How would you describe your mindset here, and what is your objective?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, my objective is to do things gradually. I know that I'm in Roland Garros, and what I'm doing is I'm concentrated, I played two matches in two days, and obviously it's nice to lift a trophy. But I'm still not there, and I just have to continue, go along. That's very simple.

Q. You said that you were ready for anything on the court. What did you learn from last year's experience to be that way and do that?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, what I learned was that when you're playing a local, the match can be a bit more tense.

And I was prepared not to be affected by anything except by myself and my game, and that was the only thing that I was thinking of.

Q. Do you think that it was an advantage to play one of the first matches and there wasn't that much public?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I don't know. I like to play the first match and go down there and not have to wait that much. But I think that I was ready for it. I wasn't concerned about the public.

Q. How do you feel? Because on the court and off the court, you seem a bit toned down. You don't seem as lively.
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: No, I think I'm just getting older (smiling). I'm taking this tournament very seriously, because I think that what you have to do is want to do it right. Maybe I just look concentrated and focused.

But when I get off the court, that's not the same. I say, Okay, this is a match and we'll move on to something else.

Q. Stosur is an experienced player. She hasn't had very good results. How are you approaching the game?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I have played her several times. She can be a very serious and dangerous opponent.

She has played a Grand Slam. She is experienced in semifinals here. It's going to be a tough match, but I'm looking forward to it.

Q. To go after what was just said, what you do when you're off the court, I think that there was a picture of you in the Louvre and visiting Paris. What do you like to do here when you're off the court? And as you're a professional, how do you survive the smell of crepes and waffles?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: Well, I try to empty my mind when I have a free day or in the afternoon, and I went to the Louvre for a really express visit. There were a lot of people. It was hot. And I couldn't stay there for six hours. So I visited the museum in just one hour.

So what can I say? I have one croissant per day, and if I've been running a lot, two.

I just smell butter, and I feel like having one.

Q. Generally speaking, time is a bit unstable. During the match there is shades and sun. What are you expecting for the next days?
GARBIÃ‘E MUGURUZA: I think tennis has to be played in sun, outdoors, with little wind. And if that's the case, I'm really happy. But we're in Paris. So that's not going to happen. It can be warmer, it can be cooler. I go out ready, dressed for any type of weather.

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