ROLAND GARROS

September 27, 2020

Caroline Garcia

Press Conference

C. GARCIA/A. Kontaveit

6-4, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In previous years at Roland Garros, coping with the pressure of the crowd has been an issue for you and for other French players. What difference does it make for you this year with just a thousand at most?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I guess for sure in terms of only amount of people it will be less pressure. Will it make a big difference? I don't know. I'm not sure.

You know, it's more about the fact that it's Roland Garros maybe that put pression on us.

Of course to be on Philippe Chatrier looks, seems very different. Actually, it seems different first of all because it looks completely different (smiling).

For sure, like when I walk in the first time like four days ago, I walk in and I was discovering a brand new court. So maybe the past memories that I had was not always great memory, didn't come back as they came back normally. So I think that was point positive No. 1.

And definitely to have of course maybe less people put less pression, but it comes, there is always a bad side, I will say, but it feels empty. Feels like you're more by yourself than ever (smiling).

But I think we have to take the positive, and we are playing Roland Garros. At least we have 1,000 people on-site and probably plenty of spectators in front of the TV. So let's play and let's enjoy it.

Q. Please comment your game and your opponent's game tonight.

CAROLINE GARCIA: I think we are both pretty aggressive players. She's always very solid. You know, you can always count on her to fight until the end, and she rarely lost against a player lower ranked than her. She did great in U.S., only losing against Naomi. She's a very consistent top-15 player, I would say, both sides.

I think, you know, I'm an aggressive player, as well. Today was the one who was dominating the rallies more and the best way was winning the point, and that's what I was able to do at the end of the third set better than her.

Q. How proud are you of the way you were able to turn it around in the third set? Especially having lost to her last week.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, for sure. Give me a lot of satisfaction. The beginning of third set was tough for me. I had few opportunities and I couldn't make it. You know, it was close game, but I couldn't get top of it.

Then I tried to be a little bit more aggressive on her second serve, because I had opportunities but I was not really going for it.

So, you know, it's these kind of matches against these kind of player. She's not going to give it to me, but I have to go for it. And sometimes I go for myself for too much, but I have to realize that players are not always playing amazing and sometimes I don't need to go for too much.

I arrived to find the good balance at the end.