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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2018

Katie Swan

Wimbledon, London, England

K. SWAN/I. Begu

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How was that for you?
KATIE SWAN: It was a good match. I think I was pretty nervous at the start. Actually most of the way through I felt myself a bit shaky. I don't think it affected my tennis too much. I'm so happy that I managed to come through.

Q. There was lots of glad handing there. Was that family, friends or what?
KATIE SWAN: I ran to the other side to see my parents, my coach, and my brother. Then on my side of the court was two of my best friends.

Q. People have talked about you in tennis circles for a long time. You were No. 3 in the world as a junior. How did it feel to win your first singles match at Wimbledon? Are you prepared for the attention you might get in the coming days?
KATIE SWAN: So exciting. It's something that as a little girl I dream about to play her. To get a wild card, I was so grateful to get that. And this year I've been working really hard. The last few weeks I've shown more myself than anyone I can compete with the top girls. Going into the match today with that mindset, I think that's why I was able to win.

Yeah, I'm just really happy.

Q. Were you surprised at all how well you did cope out there? You seemed to be blowing her off the court at times.
KATIE SWAN: I would say yes and no. Like I said, I was nervous at the start. But I have been playing well the last few weeks, and in practice all of last week, everything was going really well. I kind of just took that onto the match court.

Q. Do you think it helps to be so young sometimes? You just seem to be completely nerveless? Do you think it helps being young because you don't have the kind of baggage of loads of losses and perhaps because she didn't know that much about you or your name?
KATIE SWAN: I definitely wouldn't say I was nerveless. I was really nervous. I was shaking, more because I was playing -- like, this is my favorite tournament in the world. I knew that I was close to winning. I just wanted it so much. The good thing was that I kept playing my game throughout, even when I felt those nerves.

But, yeah, it's kind of weird being unknown. I just came out of juniors kind of last year, the year before. Everybody knows you in juniors. To then come into the pros, it's weird, like, being unknown. I guess it works to my advantage at the moment.

Q. You've spoken a lot about the impact that Diego has had on your game. What specifically did it help you with today?
KATIE SWAN: We've worked a lot this year, and with my other coach Julien, as well. We spent more hours on court working a lot on the physical side, and off court as well. I think it's basically a combination of everything I've done in the last six months coming together.

It was kind of a long time coming, I think, a result like this. I've been doing everything I can to improve. I think it's finally showing.

Q. I know you're with Andy's management group. Did he have any words of advice, encouragement ahead of Wimbledon?
KATIE SWAN: I actually didn't talk to him much before Wimbledon. I think he was busy with himself deciding what he was going to be doing. I saw him last week, but we didn't really talk about tennis.

Yeah, it was more social talk, like "Love Island," that kind of stuff.

Q. How do you stop the nerves and the shaking being too overpowering?
KATIE SWAN: Yeah, well, I think because of everything I've been doing in practice, I was just in my head staying calm, like I knew that I could do it. I was just trying to put myself in the mindset like I've been playing like this for the last week, I can keep going, even when the nerves are coming, taking deep breaths. Trying to put my game on the court, not reacting if I made mistakes, or if she played well. I knew that was going to happen. She's 30-odd in the world.

I just had to stay calm and focus on myself.

Q. You said you didn't get to speak to Andy too much. Overall, how much of a help and inspiration has he been?
KATIE SWAN: Yeah, he's been so nice. He helped me with finding Diego as my coach. I would say every couple weeks he would text me to see how things were going, how the setup was, asking about what tournaments I was going to be playing. Then over the grass, we went out to lunch once. In Eastbourne we had a team dinner, which was really nice.

It's almost surreal being in somebody's company, somebody like that, because he was always my idol growing up. To now be so close with him, it's really cool.

Q. Have you heard from him since the match finished?
KATIE SWAN: I haven't actually checked my phone yet, so I don't know.

Q. Doesn't get easier next round. Are you ready to step up against top players on grass?
KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I haven't really thought about my next match too much. I'm just trying to enjoy this for tonight, I think. My coach has gone to watch them already. I might go watch them a bit tonight as well. Tomorrow we'll start getting ready for that one.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Q. You talk about how it's your favorite tournament. What is your first memory of watching Wimbledon as a kid?
KATIE SWAN: So I remember when I was, I don't know how old I was, I was watching it on the TV growing up. I actually came here I think it was 2012 when Serena played Radwanska in the final. I came with my dad. I was playing at that stage, but it wasn't that serious for me. Kind of just experiencing that atmosphere and seeing Serena and Aga, it just made me want to play more seriously. I mean, it was motivational seeing them, and playing on Centre Court was something that I dreamed of doing.

Q. You said you're going to enjoy it tonight. What are you going to do?
KATIE SWAN: Staying in the house just five minutes away in Wimbledon with my family, my parents and my brother, and Diego is there as well. I don't know if my friends are still here. Some really close family friends and my best friend from school came up today. Hopefully I can see them a little bit.

Q. House party?
KATIE SWAN: Basically. Maybe a bit of the "Love Island" as well tonight.

Q. Court today was similar to the courts you've been playing on the last few weeks. There's the possibility you could be moved up to a bigger court. How will you work on not getting overwhelmed by a bigger crowd?
KATIE SWAN: I think the bigger crowd will help me actually. I played on Court 1 in Eastbourne last week, which is also a pretty big court. I like having the support behind me. I'm not going to be playing a British girl. It's going to be fun, I think. I think it helps me.

Q. Must have been a moment you dreamt about. When it finally happened, what was going through your head? White noise, anything appear at all?
KATIE SWAN: Yeah, like it is something that I've dreamed about. But it's the first round. I'm really happy that I managed to come through, but it isn't the end. I still want to win my next match. I just want to enjoy the moment now, then tomorrow I'll get ready for the next one. I definitely want to keep going in the tournament.

Q. It must be quite satisfying to also justify your wild card.
KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I was really happy when I found out that I got it. Also for all the other British girls that got them, we've all improved a lot this year, everyone is working so hard. It was nice to see that the All England Club decided to give us all a chance.

Q. Before the game did you think you could win it?
KATIE SWAN: Yeah, I did. Last week I played in Eastbourne. Before the match I was so nervous I had a bit of dip in confidence, like I was doubting whether I was really good enough to be there. I had a really close match with the girl top 50. That helped me a lot. This last week I've been practicing with girls top 50 pretty much every day, been competing well with them.

I think all the preparation helped me believe in myself more. My coach, as well, telling me not just for the sake of it, but he's coached the top of the game, so he kept telling me that I could do it, and I did. I'm really happy.

Q. Whatever happens from now on, you already have the biggest paycheck of your career. Do you have any thoughts what you'd like to spend it on?
KATIE SWAN: I definitely need a new phone case, that's the first thing. My phone case is, like, falling apart. That's what I'm going to do first. After that, I don't know yet.

Q. Were you aware of the interaction between Begu and the British team at the Fed Cup?
KATIE SWAN: I was actually there. I was kind of the reserve or hitting partner for that week. I did experience that.

Q. Did that give you any more fire, that bad blood, what was said?
KATIE SWAN: Not really. To be honest, I didn't think much about it today. Just another opponent. I just did what I had to do.

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