	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

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 16, 2020

Belinda Bencic

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you feel about your form coming in?
BELINDA BENCIC: I'm feeling good. Obviously every year or every season you have to find your form again. That's what I'm working very hard for. Feeling good.

Q. (Question about first round.0?
BELINDA BENCIC: It's incredibly tough. All of the players have a tough first round. Anyone you ask, Who are you playing? It's always a tough matchup. You cannot choose your opponent here because it's really packed.

I think you need to beat everyone when you want to kind of go deep in the tournament.

Q. Do you feel a lot of pressure on your shoulders to do more?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, not at all. I don't really get why all of the people think that success and then after playing it's pressure. For me, it's not. It's a privilege. I won here last year, so I can only play great again here. That's how I see it.

I think it's all about the mentality.

Q. There's a lot of excitement with Kim coming back. What are any of your favorite memories of Kim? What do you make of her comeback?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I remember when I was small, obviously I saw her playing. For me, I called her the player that does the splits. I'm really excited to see her playing. I'm really curious how it's going to be.

Q. It's an Olympic year. Have you already thought about that?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, for me Olympics is for sure a big highlight in my season. I'm definitely going to prepare well for this tournament. I think it's going to just be amazingly exciting for me, first time on Olympics, to see how everything goes, to see all the different athletes and sports.

Yeah, for me it's going to be something really special.

Q. And your doubles, have you figured that out?
BELINDA BENCIC: We will see (laughter).

Q. Mixed doubles?
BELINDA BENCIC: We will see (smiling).

Q. You mentioned you're fascinating by the track and field athletes. Do you have any favorites in particular?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, the Swiss track and field athletes, they're my favorite. Mujinga, I love watching her. Alex Wilson. I'm kind of following all the Swiss athletes, yeah.

Q. What are some of your biggest takeaways from last week? How do you feel you were playing there and what is the tricky part about moving surfaces indoor, outdoor?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, the positive part was definitely I had quality matches. I played Kuznetsova, which she's always playing great. Also against Maria Sakkari was really good. I could find some positives in my game, move a step forward. I felt like I played better than in Australia.

Well, it's a tricky part, but it's part of our job. We always move from indoors to outdoors, time zones, different surfaces, especially changing balls every week. It's very tricky.

I think who manages these things the best is the winner.

Q. There's a lot of movement within the top five, No. 1. Have you allowed yourself to think about that No. 1 spot, trying to get there?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, I'm not thinking about the No. 1 spot because I'm very far from it. I'm focusing on what's happening on the court. That's my only focus really. I'm going to the court, trying to do the best I can in every practice I attend, every match I do.

Really the rankings is something that's very spectacular for the media, to put pressure on players. For me it's really just a reward for your tennis on the court. It's not something I have to focus about.

Q. What is your target for 2020, Olympics, other tournaments?
BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, for sure the Olympics. Obviously I want to do well in the big events, keep my ranking up like it's now. Stay healthy, I think that's the most important thing.

Q. Talk about your first round, Pavlyuchenkova.
BELINDA BENCIC: Like all the other first rounds, very difficult. She played great in Australia. I think she changed her game a little bit now with a new coach. I played her in Moscow, so I know how to play her. I practiced with her a couple of times. She's definitely not someone new for me.

Q. Did you go skydiving after you won last year?
BELINDA BENCIC: No, I didn't go. It's a good question because yeah, I'm very disappointed in someone not keeping his promises (laughter). He's so scared to fly so... I will try to get him to go skydiving now, but it's going to be difficult. I will go alone (laughter).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297