	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

BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

January 6, 2020

Barbora Strycova

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

B. STRYCOVA/J. Konta

6-2, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First of all, congratulations for today. How tough was the last part of the third?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: It is always tough to close the match, especially against Johanna. She's always there, she's playing every single point, it doesn't matter what the score was. But to be honest, I wasn't really thinking about the score because I had 5-2 and serving against the wind, but, obviously, I lost that game. But I felt like I wasn't doing anything wrong in that game, so I was pretty calm, I have to say. And then, yeah, I close it up on her serve, so I was very pleased.

Q. Will this be your last season on tour?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: It can. It cannot. I don't know. But it can, yes.

Q. Makes anything different, like also this moment where you can close the match and then your opponent try to come back, are you feeling different on court?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Maybe a little bit because as you said it can be my last season, that you try to kind of like enjoy it in a way, and also I don't have to prove anything to other people. I just want to prove something to myself, which is, when you realize it, when you really think about it and you think about it deep, you feel it a little bit like free from nerves. But today I felt pretty good. I wasn't really tight, I wasn't really feeling anything like wrong. It was a good match today, especially after not playing for one and a half months, against Johanna it's always tough, but it was pretty good.

Q. How was your off-season?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: To be honest, it was great. It was great, but I was in Dubai, I was also in Prague, but it was great. I had an amazing time. I was running a lot, I have to say. I don't know why, but I felt like I want to run, so I was running every day a lot, like, 8 kilometers, 8 to 10, but it helped me to just get out the thoughts and also get out of the season because it was a tough season, a lot of traveling matches, but I had a great time. Also, Christmas was great. My sister came from the States with the kids, which is not usual. So we had a blast, yeah.

Q. Where does she live in the States?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: She lives in Jacksonville by Atlantic Beach, nearby the Ponte Vedra.

Q. It seemed like the off-season was quite busy. I feel like you're getting a lot of this recognition and maybe a like awards and --
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, I had so many.

Q. I know. This is exactly my point.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: I was surprised. Yeah, especially like from the 20th of December, like, until the 23rd, every day was something, everything was like dresses and awards and it was beautiful, I have to say, because it was the Athlete of the Year and I was No. 9 from all athletes from Czech. And then I won the tennis Player of the Year, which was really, I was surprised, but very happy about that.

Q. How does it feel to be getting this, maybe, attention, this recognition, kind of at this point in your career maybe, maybe, I don't know, I'm not Czech so I don't know, I don't know if you were getting this attention before.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Not as much as now.

Q. So does it feel validating?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yes, it does. But maybe this is strange, that I get to get the dresses. I get to wear the dress from Dior and the dress was made in, like, two months with, like, 20 people. And to just wear it, it was something very special. They send it from Paris and it's great. Is that weird?

Q. No, not at all.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yeah. I was like nervous to wear the dress. It was very heavy. It was 7 kilos. Yeah, my neck was kind of like, after two hours I was like, yes.

Q. Francesca Schiavone when she retired, the last few years of her career was saying that she kept playing because she loved tennis so much, that she had pure joy and happiness, not only from winning tournaments so I wanted to ask you if this is common thing for tennis player or if this is something that applies to you?
BARBORA STRYCOVA: I enjoy also working out. I enjoy preparing for the matches and I love tennis as well, but also there are days where I hate it. There are days where I don't really like it because I don't have always positive mood, and as you know, everyone, so. But what I, I have been playing 27 years, so it's really tough sometimes to just say, okay, now it's enough. But for now I feel like I still enjoy it a lot. I enjoy practicing for it, which is sometimes very hard. But, yes, the winners makes you feel good. I don't make so much winners, I'm just running, but this makes me feel good as well. Did you like the dress?

Q. I loved the dress. It was like a piece of art.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yes, it was, and that's why I choose that dress.

Q. You have great taste as always. Never in doubt. But you distracted me.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Sorry.

Q. I saw an Instagram post about the fires and everything and you were saying that this country, you know, means a lot to you from juniors and, obviously, I understand why, but can you just talk a little bit about kind of what, yeah, what's going on in your mind with respect to all the fires.
BARBORA STRYCOVA: Yeah, it's devastating to see. Every time I turn on the TV it's everywhere. And to see something like this it's really horrible and I try to help as much as I can, so I was donating as much as I could. But I want also that everyone get involved and helping the people and animals, because to see burning such a beautiful country, it's really sad. But we are the ones who are doing this.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297