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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2019

Bianca Andreescu

Indian Wells, California

B. ANDREESCU/G. Muguruza

6-0, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Did you have a busy day?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Busy winning, I guess (smiling). I guess it was just -- I just went out there, went for it. I didn't focus on who was on the other side. It really helped me, and I used my serve to my advantage. She didn't serve so well today, so I took advantage of that, as well.

Yeah, I got the win in under an hour, which is definitely good for the body, too...

Q. Do you know the expression "being in the zone"?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah.

Q. Were you in the zone today?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: That was definitely what happened today, yeah. I had a good day. She didn't have such a good day. I felt she was holding back a lot, and I felt it, so I just kept putting pressure. She just kept missing. So I'm just really happy.

Q. You say you don't focus on who is on the other side, but you are facing a lot of opponents you haven't faced before. Do you quickly get a read how they are reacting to your diverse game and then decide what to use more of during the match?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, I try to evaluate during the match, definitely. If she doesn't -- because everyone has different days. Like maybe her backhand will be better one day. Her forehand might be shaky. So I definitely try to evaluate during the match.

Today I think I just -- I stuck to my tactics, which was to put pressure on her forehand, move her around, change the rhythm like I always do, play my game.

Q. Yesterday top 50 and today top 40. Tomorrow?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Top 25? (Smiling.) Who knows? I'm just taking it day by day.

Q. The successes you have had this year in various tournaments against various levels of competition, how much does that help your confidence when you come into a situation in a venue like this against top 10, top 25 opponents?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, like I always say, I think confidence is everything, and also experience, too. I just started playing these high-level events a year ago, and I think I'm gaining more and more experience after every match. Win or lose, I always learn something. And I think this year all the wins have definitely given me confidence.

Q. That's the biggest court you have ever played on. Second biggest court in tennis. You looked like you were perfectly at home there. Any problem getting your bearings?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I warmed up on it this morning. I got a feel of how it was. And my first match I played on Stadium 2, so it wasn't very different.

Q. The more you win, the more people are going to want to know your secrets. You didn't reveal much the other day, but you said you had a prematch routine where you maybe smell something before...
BIANCA ANDREESCU: It's usually during the match that I sniff it. But I'm never going to reveal my secret, no.

Q. Aroma therapy?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I'm not saying anything (smiling). You guys got what the hair tie was about, and I think that's good enough.

Q. You're obviously getting used to winning. That comes with a lot more attention in the press, people recognizing you. Has that been a very new experience? What's it been like?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, it's definitely a new experience. I have a good team around me that help me stay grounded. I think it's good for the fans to get a taste of how the players are, their persona on camera.

Yeah, I think it's just -- I'm just going to continue doing that. It's also mandatory, so I gotta do it (smiling).

Q. You talked about yoga and meditation in your last press conference. Is that something you do during the tournaments as we go through, or is that something you do in the off weeks?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I do it all the time. Every day since I was 14, I have been doing it. So it's become a habit for me.

Q. Up next you have either Svitolina or Vondrousova. What are your thoughts on playing either of them?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: No doubt it's going to be a tough match. I have watched them play many, many times. I played juniors with MarkÃ©ta. And Svitolina has had an incredible run.

So I'm looking forward to that. I'm just gonna study their match and then hopefully have another good day on Friday.

Q. You have a connection with the Toronto Raptors now?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Low key. I do. I'm a really big fan. I think they can do really well this season. I mean, they are already doing well. I'm sure they can win the whole thing.

Q. What have you done between matches? I think yesterday you may have been saying when you go out on court and you're playing the match, not to think too much during the match. Is that pretty much what you did today? What have you done between matches?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, in the past I felt like I was just overthinking a lot of things during the match. Like, I keep key words in my head usually.

But one day during -- I think it was a challenger in Granby, I just told myself, okay, let's try not to say anything during the match, to myself, I mean. That really worked well. Like, I just focused on my tactics. That's all. And that's what I have been doing.

I just keep very short key words in my head, like, before I serve, before I return. I just try to pump myself up.

Q. What can you say Sylvain has done for you?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: He's done a lot. I have been working with him for quite a while now, full-time since last year after Australian Open. But even before that, I played Fed Cup with him.

He's an incredible coach. He has a lot of experience. We have a really good relationship off the court, and I think that's really important. So I thank him a lot for what he's done.

Q. Talking about your coaches, you broke with Nathalie Tauziat earlier?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I did, yes.

Q. What did she bring to you? And when did you start playing tennis and why did you start playing tennis?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Okay. I started playing tennis at the age of seven in Romania. I was born in Canada, though. My parents, they had work there, so we were going back and forth.

And then once I started getting serious, moved back to Canada, got into Tennis Canada, as well, and then at the age of 15 started working with Nathalie. It was pretty overwhelming. She was top 3 in the world, and she went to the finals of Wimbledon. That was a crazy experience for me.

We also had a very good relationship on and off the court. She brought a lot to the table because she was a player, so she knows everything. So she gave me a lot of tips on what to do during the match, before the match, after the match, how to prepare, all of that.

And I think it was a really good start to my pro career. So I thank her a lot for it. It's all friendly.

Q. I was really interested in the meditation part. Are there images involved? Do you listen to music? Could you tell us a little bit more about that, if you would?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: It's nothing complicated. I wake up every morning. First thing I do is I meditate. I think it really helps me get a good jump-start to the day. Not opening my phone or anything, not getting too overwhelmed.

It's just creative visualization. I take 15 minutes every morning just to get in tune with my body, my mind. Because I feel like a lot of people work on the physical part of things, but I think the mental part is the most important because it controls your whole body, right?

Yeah, I just take 15 minutes every morning. I visualize myself having a good day, like, stuff like that.

Q. And some of the words you use before starting a point, if I followed what you said before, what are some of the words you use before you serve?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I'll just say, like, catch and stroke, because sometimes I tend to have a big swing on the returns. And ladies are serving really fast, so I just try to keep it compact. Stuff like that.

Q. Do you say, okay, I'm just going to react, period? I'm not going to...
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Exactly, exactly.

Q. So how does it work out? Do you actually react all the time, or do you think about it when it's not going well?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: During the match?

Q. Yeah.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Good question. I try to just accept what's happening. I try not to have any expectations because I think expectations ruin a lot of things.

So I just accept what's coming at me, and I try to work around it.

Q. What languages do you speak?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I speak English and Romanian. My French is "ishy." My whole team is French, so I don't know why I suck so bad. I'm really trying to improve that.

Hopefully -- I know I said this to you, Stephanie, that last year, by the time I would get to the Rogers Cup, I'd know it fluently. So now my goal is for 2020, when Rogers Cup is in Montreal, for me to actually give an interview in French, have no problems with it.

Q. When Nathalie was coaching you, did she tell you anything about being a player that was surprising or unusual that you found was really accurate? When you were working with Natalie, did she tell you anything maybe unusual or surprising about being on tour or some advice which you found really accurate or useful?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: It wasn't anything really specific, really. It was more general things. I have never played on the tour against top players, so it was all new to me. But I took it to heart, and I think a lot of it has gotten me where I am right now.

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