ROLAND GARROS

October 6, 2020

Juan Pablo Guzman

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's been a huge two weeks for you. How do you process this? How has the journey been the last six months?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: It's almost three weeks because we came on Thursday of the qualifying. It was an amazing journey here.

She start playing really good on the qualifying. Once she enter into the main draw, she was expecting, like, to do a good job there, but not this, expecting to do a semifinals. It's really unbelievable.

About the last six months, she start the year playing really good, doing an amazing job in the tournaments. Then during the lockdown also, she didn't stop a day working. She was working first at home with the family in Rosario. She was working unbelievable, every day doing fitness, trying to do everything.

She came to Spain, and it was everything open already for practicing from June. She start there, like, playing tennis after two months of without playing. She did a great, great job.

Q. What will this mean for everyone back home in Rosario? How big will this be?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: She was in a tournament. She was in Irapuato in Mexico, played quarterfinals. Then they canceled there. She went back home to Rosario. She stayed more than two months there. It's not usual to be at home for such a long time during the year.

Because of this, it's something you have two ways to take it: One is working and continue doing everything as if you are in a normal period; other is staying at home, and just relaxing, holidays. She took that way. It was good.

Q. (Translated from Spanish.)

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: I think unbelievable. I think they take it as it is, like a semifinals in a major, Grand Slam. Everybody there, the family, all the people there, it's crazy with the results.

Q. She seems very calm. This is a big stage. Almost no nerves or fear. She spoke about having a very relaxed mind, not thinking about the occasion, just playing. Is that something you have helped her with? How is she able to do that?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: She's been working for a year or more than a year with, like, a mental coach. She's been helping her in that situations. He's been working on that.

Usually once she enter to the court, she just wants to play and win, sometimes not using the correct way, playing the way that she's playing now, no. She was more, like, trying to hit, trying to do more things that she had to do.

With the mental coach, she's been working, trying to breathe, trying to visualize, trying to be more calm in that situations. It was something that after a year. This year she was playing really good, but there was some occasions she was playing with girls the same ranking as her, but when she was playing higher-ranking players, she was feeling the pressure and trying to do more things than she had to do.

Like she did in this tournament, she did everything the same in every match. It was, like, a big change for her because she saw she can play like this and keep winning.

Q. Do you think the fact it's a quieter Roland Garros, no fans, maybe is it easier for her to stay calm, just play her game, not get nervous with the fans?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: We didn't speak about that because it's better I think not to speak it. But I think it maybe can help to that players that they are not used to play with that quantity of people, in these big stadiums. I think it could be a bit easier to play without the people. First time like she played today in this big stadium, being like this.

There are some people, you hear the noise, you hear everything, but could be a little bit easier. We have to ask her maybe.

Q. Nadia just said she is basing herself in Alicante. Who does she practice with over there? Alex de Minaur lives in Alicante, as well. Has there been any connection with them?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: We have a month practicing in the same club as Alex. The coach is from Alicante and he has a club. We just moved to that club, Adolfo is the name, Adolfo Gutierrez. He is the owner of that club, and we just moved to that place.

Basically she plays with womens. There's many professional players there in Alicante. She practice with all the time with a lot of WTA players. Also boys, mens.

Q. This week in Paris, has she been playing, in your opinion, at her very top level of her game or is this the standard game you are used to seeing her play?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: I think the condition of the weather, of the balls, they are much heavier than usual, the part of the year it's humid, cold, the courts are heavy, I think it help a lot for her to play this kind of game. I think she still has more game to show.

But she's playing like a good level. The good thing is she can maintain all the match playing at this level.