US OPEN

September 5, 2020

Tsvetana Pironkova

Press Conference

T. PIRONKOVA/D. Vekic

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel about today's match? What was the key to winning it? How does it feel to be in the round of 16 at a slam?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well, it feels absolutely great, that's for sure. It was a tough match, I would say. Even though the score does not suggest it that much.

The first set was really, really close, especially around 4-All. It was a matter of just a couple of points really. I'm really glad that I got to hold on, to take that set.

Then in the second set, there were just a few moments that were important, as well. I was just keeping persistent, and that kind of paid off.

Q. How does it feel to be in the round of 16?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: It feels great. It feels amazing. Of course, unexpected. But just super happy.

Q. How is your body feeling through the first week with three matches for the first time in three years? I saw the leg was taped. How are you doing with the recovery?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: Yeah, that's a good question (laughter).

It's not feeling very well, to be honest. I have few aches and pains here and there. A few more after today, as well.

But recovery team here is great, like in all WTA tournaments. The WTA physiotherapists and massage therapists are just amazing. They've been helping me a lot with everything.

I've been doing a lot of massages, a lot of treatment, trying to prepare my body the best way I can. I have one day, tomorrow, to do that. I hope I'll be ready for my next match.

Q. A lot of talk has been about your comeback after a pregnancy and motherhood. Was there a time between the birth of your child and before you decided to come back to the tour where you were so excited to be a mother and everything that went along with it, that you might have thought you didn't want to come back? Was there a time you thought that it was too good not to come back to tennis?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well, yeah, I think I talked about that yesterday or the day before that.

But, yeah, there was definitely a time like that. I'm not hiding it. I've said it before. There was a time maybe for one-and-a-half, two years after I became a mom where I didn't really picture coming back to the tour at all. I was, you know, happy with the moment, just wanted to live through everything, through this new exciting times in my life.

But then I started thinking about tennis more and more. Also having this opportunity of the special ranking gives you more motivation, as well, because you're not starting from scratch, as we can see. My first tournament is actually main draw in US Open. That is a huge opportunity.

At one point I was like, I do not want to miss that opportunity, I'm going to start training, I'm going to do everything I can, and it's going to be different this time because, first and before all, I kind of enjoy it because tennis is before all a game. It's interesting, exciting, and super cool game that you can have a lot of fun playing (smiling). That is what I'm trying to do.

Q. Was that the biggest perspective change from the time you played when you began your career and now, where tennis might have been your whole life for so many years, and now you can have that perspective where you love tennis but there's more important things in life?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: Absolutely, yeah. That's probably the biggest change in my mindset. Living outside of tennis for three years, I kind of experienced a lot of different things in my life.

Of course, the biggest thing is that I am now a mother. My focus is primary on my child and my family, of course.

I know that tennis is not everything in life. As I said, it's a game that I have to enjoy.

Q. Did you ever get to talk with Victoria Azarenka, maybe Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams? Did you get to talk with any of those players during the time of your pregnancy and preparation coming back to tennis?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: Not to those particular players. Of course, I read a lot of their interviews on that matter. But, you know, I'm good friends with Kateryna Bondarenko who is now a mother of two, and she's also back on the tour after she gave birth to her second child.

We kind of changed some experience even after she was back on the tour after her first child. She was sharing her experience, how that works.

Yeah, it's helpful to have fellow mothers on tour.

Q. For the purpose of this question only, let's assume your opponent will be Madison Keys. How would you describe the different styles in your games and the challenge of facing her?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: I don't know if I want to assume who is going to be my next opponent because I don't think they have played yet. I think they're about to play now or something, I'm not sure.

But both opponents, Alize and Madison, are amazing players. I have played against them both. Alize is a big fighter. She's always fighting until the last point. Madison has big shots, big serve, big forehand.

It will be a challenge no matter which one of them it will be.

Q. You said it was a surprise, you think it's a surprise, for you to be in the round of 16. Throughout the week, how have you managed the emotions, the expectations, the unexpected maybe nature of what you've done in New York so far? Have you been able to talk to your father, your family, anyone back home, to kind of process what's happening?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: Well, yeah, I've been talking to my family a lot, with all of them. They are also very happy. They are not as surprised as I am, I guess. That's what they said. They said, We know you have it in you. It's probably just we didn't expect it to be so soon. But still it's super great.

What was the other question? I kind of forgot.

Q. How you're managing the emotions of the week, whether it's expectations or unexpected success. How are you managing it all? What has been the key for you?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: I guess I do not think too much about it. I kind of have my own routine where after the match I do everything I have to do, like treatment, massage, eating well, sleeping well. Then I have my own little place in my room where I just put my feet up, watch TV shows, read books, just kind of relax.

I'm in my own little bubble, I guess. That's been helping (smiling).

Q. Does any of this feel normal, as in do you feel like you're back on tour again, or does this all feel very different than the first time around?

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA: It feels the same to me. It feels normal to me. I think that's pretty normal because I've been doing that for more than 15 years. I just had three years' break. That's kind of how I grew up, what I have been doing for a long, long time.

You cannot just forget it like that. It just doesn't happen that way, I guess.