ROLAND GARROS

October 7, 2020

Jiri Vanek

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. From the beginning of the tournament when you and Petra arrived and kind of started to understand what the conditions were like here and how the ball was playing and how the surface was playing, did you immediately feel that it could be something positive for her game here in Paris this time around?

JIRI VANEK: Actually, not really. I mean, we know that conditions gonna be here pretty bad, actually a lot of rain and the balls are heavy, not pretty good for Petra.

But anyway, like, we was just going for the first match and after that we decided just go, step on the court and play match after match, and then she's just playing good and that's most important for us.

Q. Petra plays her game on clay the same way she plays it on other surfaces, no sliding really. Do you think any elements of that has actually helped her in these heavier conditions this time around?

JIRI VANEK: Yes, I think so. Anyway, like when I start to work with Petra I tried to little bit push her. She was always like asking me, Look, on the clay I have to slide. I say, Come on, especially like if you play your games and you don't have to concentrate really to play different game on the clay in your way. Because if you play your fast game, you are a good server, and like you attacking every return, then you don't have to be really focusing. Like, you don't have to run like from side to side like the others. And just maybe sometime go more often to the net and make the drop volleys.

And I think, like, she found a way to play like that and she feel much more comfortable on the clay now.

Q. It's been well documented what Petra went through four years ago and how traumatic that was for her physically, mentally. Has there been a moment in that time where she ever considered quitting tennis? Did she ever feel she may not perhaps get to the level she's now at?

JIRI VANEK: No, never. Actually when I start with her, like still we didn't even hit not even one ball and this had happened to her, so I was just try to understand her.

But like from first thing after she went from the hospital for the surgery she said, Look, guys, I coming back and I will do everything that is possible to be able to play.

Even the doctor was a little bit skeptics but she was totally focused, she's coming back, and she will go through this. She's just great player and great person.

Q. To that end, how proud are you? How do you feel about her emotional response to what she's been through and the resilience she's shown to show that she is competitive at the elite end?

JIRI VANEK: I'm really proud of her. Like especially here, the emotions you can see probably was like happened last match, after the match she has all the memories was coming back a little bit.

Anyway, I'm so happy for her that she improving every year. Like we totally change new team for this season. She has new fitness coach, new physio, and they are traveling with us. Really everything works together and she's more fit, I will say.

I'm really happy how she handled the matches even with the tough, she was 1-5 down with Fernandez and she come back. This really help her like if she comes through this tough match.

Q. How do you compare this two weeks in Paris to the two weeks that you guys had in Australian Open last year? Both times she was very dominant, didn't lose a set going into the deep stages, semifinals and stuff. How do you compare the two runs so far?

JIRI VANEK: Actually it's totally, totally different. I mean, in Australia it was like with our other team that we have still our fitness coach, but she won Sydney before. She was coming to Australian Open, she was kind of tired physically but mentally she was there. So from the first point she start to just was following like how she play in Sydney.

Here was the difference. We just came back after US Open, she need to take rest because she have some problems, and we play maybe five, six times on clay. But it was just focusing on her arm because last time last year she has to withdraw because she has some problem with the arm.

We were just focusing on that, to stay healthy and just come here and play from the first point, from whole match just take it like how it is. Then was just coming, going, and it's just nice (smiling).

Q. What do you like most about the way she has played through the first five rounds? What do you feel she needs to do well to keep it running and make the final?

JIRI VANEK: Of course she needs to always focus on herself. She play her game, she do many thing like with good serve and attacking returns.

She didn't have to really like look about the opponent how they are playing, because if she's focusing on her, she plays so fast and the opponents are always under the pressure.

So it's most important like just believe, needs to believe herself and just go for it and just enjoy it how much is possible.

Q. Going back your entire journey with Petra, do you think this huge comeback for Roland Garros belongs to you? You have huge impact on this comeback here, second semifinal in her career eight years after the first?

JIRI VANEK: I don't think this Roland Garros belongs to us. I mean, of course, like I'm happy every round she makes, especially in the Grand Slam. Those type of champions, players, they always put the pressure on themselves on the Grand Slams and always for them it's tough, tough first two rounds because they have so many expectations of themselves.

I'm really happy when she passed first two rounds, then fighting third round, coming back from 1-5 down, step by step, everything what happen to her, like we are not looking too much forward and we are just focusing every match, every set, every game, and just try to enjoy the game because she's able to play here, she never have to be here like if she not survive from this.

So we are just enjoying and not put the pressure on our sides.

Q. What do you know about Petra's experience during the lockdown? I remember in Rome hearing that a lot of the Czech girls were playing together exhibitions. Did she learn something from playing with the other girls, or did she not take part in that?

JIRI VANEK: Actually in the beginning she was really happy that she can spend some time home and with her nephews. She's really family girl. Probably all her career, what happened to her, and then rush from tournament, play the tournament.

After Australian Open when we have to decide like this lockdown to stay home that maybe some of them, some players were little panicking, but Petra was totally calm. She said, Okay, what we can do? I mean, she take two, three weeks off and then we start to slowly work.

She enjoyed it, I think.