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ROLAND GARROSMay 26, 2019Sloane StephensParis, France S. STEPHENS/M. Doi 6-3, 7-6 THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Welcome to the second round. Got a little tricky in the second set. Seemed like she elevated her level quite a bit. How did you stay calm and fight through kind of that wave? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, obviously when you're playing an opponent, at any point they can start playing better, change what they are doing. I think she changed it up a little bit and she raised her level. I just had to match her there at the end, and I think I did that pretty well. Just keep executing and stay the course. Q. The pressure of the first round is sometimes less discussed than the pressure of later rounds. You have been on both ends of that. What have you learned about dealing with small crowds, sort of no buzz, lousy weather, lower-ranked opponent, I should win? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, it's not as fun, but I think the first round for everyone is exactly that. It's the first round, and everyone can be nervous, anyone can win, an underdog can beat the No. 1 seed. That's how it is. So I think, yeah, it's a little nerve-wracking but I think most of the time, at least for me, once I get through it, I don't feel, like, those butterflies anymore. I'm okay. Like, we got started. Good to go. Let's get it going. Definitely the first round is, like, All right, let's get it out of the way. Q. And on that, Pliskova was saying she's the No. 2 seed here and she said first rounds are incredibly stressful sometimes for her, because she's, like, second seed losing in the first round of a slam, that's a disaster, dealing with that sort of pressure. Can you block out things like that, like, knowing what headlines would be, you know, if Sloane crashes out of the French Open? Does that impact those opening rounds? SLOANE STEPHENS: I think so, yeah, because I think there is so much pressure on it and everyone is, like, waiting for a huge upset, to write about something, Oh, why did she even play, why did she whatever, she's terrible, No. 3 seed. That's just the stress behind. But I think once you get past that it's okay. But there are times where you're, like, How did that person -- you do question it. But I have been in that position before. Like, it's not fun, but sometimes it just happens. I mean, you play a sport, you're playing against somebody else. It happens to the best of us. Q. On tiebreaks, I think you have won 10 of your 12 this year, so great success rate in the breaker. How do you play a breaker? Like, what is the mindset at all, if it changes, and why do you think you have been so successful? SLOANE STEPHENS: I honestly have no idea. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, not a clue. It just starts going well, and that's it. Like, I don't know. There is no, like, method. I don't think about it. I'm just, like, Okay. Fu- -- now I'm going to start thinking about it. What do I do? I don't even know. Oh, God, now they're going to give me a fine. I'll think about it. Q. Obviously playing here at the court on a Sunday start, is that any different, starting on a Sunday, compared to a slam starting on a Monday? SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, it's kind of weird. I don't know what's happening. I'm, like, super confused with what's happening with the draw. Someone told me I play on Wednesday now, which is, like, a long time from now? I don't know what I'm even going to do with myself. Yeah, it's a little bit strange, tricky. Then the whole top half, bottom half, you guys know I don't know much anyway. Making it complicated is too much for me. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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