ROLAND GARROS

October 6, 2020

Nadia Podoroska

Press Conference

N. PODOROSKA/E. Svitolina

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Are you pinching yourself at the moment?

NADIA PODOROSKA: Sorry, what does it mean, 'pinching'?

Q. (Translated to Spanish.)

NADIA PODOROSKA: No, I don't want to wake up (smiling).

Q. You said you worked a lot before the tour started during the lockdown. What changed in your game? When did you have the feeling that you have really raised your level?

NADIA PODOROSKA: Well, I train a lot in my shots, my forehand, backhand, the serve. But what I improve most, I think it was my mentality.

Q. You're from Rosario in Argentina, which is also where Messi and Di Maria are from. In 2008 they won the Olympic gold medal. Next year you will be in the Olympics. Do you think you can do another gold medal?

NADIA PODOROSKA: I wish. I wish. It will be very nice, yeah. It's going to be my first Olympics. I will try to enjoy the experience.

Q. It's now your eighth match in Paris. How are you feeling physically? Looked like it was your first match today. What is your physical state of motion?

NADIA PODOROSKA: Fortunately I completely fresh. I don't have any pain or any problem in my body. The week before Roland Garros, I also won a tournament. I played five more matches in a row. Fortunately I'm good.

Q. You mentioned the tournament in France last week. Can you talk about that experience.

NADIA PODOROSKA: Yeah, of course. It was a very good experience for me. The week before that tournament, I also played in Prague too many matches.

During all this year I've been playing so, so good. I have a lot of confidence. I think it was good to have too many matches in this year. It's helping me a lot.

Q. I'm going to ask you a question that has nothing to do with women's tennis. We have a debate every evening, and tonight the debate is: Are we heading towards a Rafa-Nole final? Your opinion, please, on this question.

NADIA PODOROSKA: Which question, sorry? Who is going to win?

Q. If the final is going to be Nadal-Djokovic.

NADIA PODOROSKA: No, for me, no. Diego Schwartzman is going to be in the finals (laughter).

Q. Can you believe that you are the first Argentinian woman to make the last four since 2004?

NADIA PODOROSKA: Well, for me it's very special because in all South America we don't have too many tournaments. It's very complicated for all the South American girls playing tennis.

For me, I think it's good that I'm having these results. Maybe it's going to help for all the young girls.

Q. I know Gaby has been doing some tweets with support. Have you heard directly from her and from other Argentine players from before?

NADIA PODOROSKA: Not now, but I have been in contact with Gaby. She's always supporting us, all the Argentinian sports. She's a very nice person. I'm happy that she's always with us, no?

Q. What about some of the other players, have you heard from somebody like Paola Suarez, or any of the men players?

NADIA PODOROSKA: I didn't check the social media or my phone yet. Paola sent me weeks before some message, too. I think I have a lot of support from Argentina.

Q. In Spanish a few days ago you said there was a period in your career when you weren't sure if you were going to continue playing tennis. When was that? When has been the toughest part of your career?

NADIA PODOROSKA: Yeah, the toughest part for me was like two or three years ago. I had too many injuries. I'm drop my ranking. I been like eight months out of the tour. Then I didn't have money to start playing tournaments.

It was a very tough moment for me because I also change all my team. I've been working with my old coach for 10 years, then we broke our relationship. I was a little bit, like, I didn't know what to do.

Q. What is your team like? How many people are there? We know about your coach, Juan Pablo. Where are you based, train in the off-season?

NADIA PODOROSKA: I'm living now in Alicante, in Spain. I train there with Juan Pablo, also Emiliano Redondi, my tennis coaches. In Argentina, I also have my physio, Diego Rodriguez. My trainer, he is also here with Diego, Martiniano. He has a very good team with Juan Cabal and Nico. I have a big team. Also in Alicante I have another physio, Fernando Nicolau. That's why I have two places, in Argentina and in Alicante.

Q. You just mentioned your injury which forced you off the tour eight months. What kind of injury was that?

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: It was my right wrist.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your possible opponents for the semifinal.

JUAN PABLO GUZMAN: For sure I'm going to see the match, how it's going. It's going to be a very tough match, for sure. But I'm happy that I'm get to the semifinals. I will be ready for that match obviously.