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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 29, 2020

Garbine Muguruza

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

G. MUGURUZA/A. Pavlyuchenkova

7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Let's go back about a week ago. Talk about the first-round match, then where you've come since. Tough start for you this whole tournament.
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, it definitely has been from low to high, not starting at my best, then each day recovering, I was training at the same time.

Yeah, very happy with the evolution of how I started.

Q. It may sound dramatic, but is it a little bit like coming back from a coma two years ago and suddenly wake up and start again to play like you were used to? How do you explain the two years of troubles?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Hmm... I think a 'coma' is a pretty strong comment.

I would say I think those years were less successful if you compare them to my previous years. That's how I see it. I don't see it at all as a coma. I just think you struggle as a player, and there is moments where things don't go your way.

You just have to be patient and go through the rough moments, just hang in there and it will come back again.

Q. This is the first time since 2014 you've been unseeded in a Grand Slam. What are your thoughts going into the semifinals? Does that make it that much more special and why?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: It is always special to get deep in a Grand Slam. Very excited to be playing tomorrow again. It's a very long tournament. You have very tough opponents, not being seeded as well.

I'm just happy that I'm going through every match. We'll have to see it more.

Q. You and Simona played each other five times. Some of those matches have come on big stages. In your eyes, how do you view your rivalry with Simona?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think it's a tough match. I think that no matter when you play top five, it's always deep in a tournament. It's a semifinal, so of course I'm expecting a big player.

Yeah, excited to play another battle against her.

Q. What impresses you most about Simona's game?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think she's a very solid player. She plays very consistency through all these years.

Q. Given your state physically when you arrived in Melbourne, did this result seem far away? Was this an expectation for you, given where you were at?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I wasn't thinking that far away. I came not feeling great. I wasn't really thinking, How far will I go? I had enough already thinking, How will I go practice today?

I took every day at a time. Like that, each day I was gaining a better feeling instead of getting frustrated thinking in the future.

Q. How does it feel to have a Hall of Famer as a coach?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: Yeah, I mean, I found out yesterday, too. Pretty exciting. I think she's happy about it because it's such an honor. I think she deserves it. She's been nominated I think a couple of times already. Very happy to get it. Proud of her.

Q. I want to correct the previous question. I didn't want to be rude. I'd like to know if in these two years you had doubts about yourself, if you were struggling psychologically for the difficulties you were going through? How did you come out? What was the toughest moment?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think the toughest moment is when you work hard, work like before, or even harder, and you don't feel like results are coming fast. So I think that's the tricky part of us. Athletes sometimes can get a little bit desperate, get too impatient about it.

It's very tough to be for so many years in the top of the game, being that consistent. I feel like it's something super hard to do. Barely few players can hold that for many, many years in a row.

Q. Even though it's a very different activity, the Kilimanjaro experience you had, does that feel like the sort of victory that can give you confidence coming into this season?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, definitely was a life-changing experience. I cannot give a simple answer to such a complicated question because it's not the right moment to talk about it.

But it definitely had an impact on me, not as a tennis player, but just in general. Being through such a tough challenge, I think, yeah, did many things inside of me.

Q. (Question about coming to the net.)
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think, like, it's part of my game. I've always liked to be at the net. Always did my doubles work. Very excited always to go forward. I don't fear it. I don't fear going for it. I think sometimes you got to just go forward and finish the point. I think that's the way to play.

Q. Naomi Osaka was talking about winning slams, about how when she won her first slam, she realized how difficult it is to win a slam. There's pressure she felt going forward. Simona said, because she failed a few times before, it actually relaxed her. From your perspective, what is your opinion on that for yourself? Did having that success change how you view this process of playing a slam and trying to win one?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think it's very hard. I think people forget how hard it is, and expect always the top players to deal with that. It is very hard.

I think once you have done it, it definitely gives you a certain confidence that you can handle two weeks' competition, Grand Slam, playing many matches. Not a lot of people can say that they have done it.

In my case, I know it's where I feel the most motivated. I just don't think too much about it. I'm just happy to be here, excited to see how far I can go.

Q. When you say it's not the right time to talk about it, was it such a profound experience for you and emotionally you don't want to go there now? What are your reasons?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I think more of like that. I think it's not right the moment now. I'm in a tournament, at this stage, it's not the right moment.

I will definitely share and be happy to have my experience. I think it's fun to hear.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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