AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 9, 2021

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

L. SAMSONOVA/P. Badosa

6-7, 7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Paula, a very long and tough match today. Tell us how you felt and talk about the match from your perspective.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, was a very tough match. After 21 days in quarantine and one month without playing, I fought until the last minute. But it wasn't enough. I think my level wasn't on my best, like I started the year in Abu Dhabi. I'm a little bit disappointed on that.

But all the credits to her. She played a very good match.

Q. When you got out of quarantine last week, did you feel like you would have enough time to prepare or were you against the clock?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I was totally against the clock. I didn't feel like that bad in tennis, but the first days I was training 40 minutes. Like my body was very, like, slow. It was tough for me to recover.

Q. How do you look back now on the experience of coming to Melbourne?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, it's been a tough experience. I am trying to get the positive side of this mentally. For sure it has a positive side. Of course, it's been very, very tough. I think my level, it's not even 70% that I was before.

I'm a little sad or disappointed on that, but I have to see the situation and it goes how it goes.

Q. You've spoken about how tough the quarantine was here. In hindsight, do you understand why people were so strict here or...

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, of course I understand the rules. I think you're doing it very, very well in this country. That's why you don't have cases.

But my complaint was never that. It was a little bit the conditions because if you're going to play a Grand Slam, today you have the example, I played, I don't know, maybe three hours, two hours and a half, and I needed fresh air or maybe a bigger room or better conditions to play against the best players. That was my complaint.

Q. You were not just in hard quarantine, but you actually had a positive test. It exacerbates the situation. Can you speak to the anxiety you had having COVID, if you would be ready to play.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I had anxiety because the situation wasn't easy, as I said. But my symptoms were a little bit bad maybe three, four days, but then I was feeling quite okay. I tried to do exercise in the room to not lose a lot my form.

I knew I could play, but I knew as well that I could play but not in my high level.

Q. Did you feel it was important that you close it out in the second set; that when it went to a third set you were running on fumes?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, this match I felt a little bit of anxiety to finish the match. I was feeling already, like, my body was hurting, a little bit of cramping. I knew I had to finish it there because then it would be tougher. That's why maybe I missed a little bit more than usual.

Q. Talk about mentally how you made it through isolation for that long. What did you do to keep yourself from going crazy?

PAULA BADOSA: To be honest, I don't know how I did it (laughter). Yeah, I have an amazing team. They helped me a lot. I've been talking to home a lot, as well. I've been with my team, with my coach. He was with me, as well.

We did trainings in the room, watching movies, the normal things you do in quarantine. I couldn't do a lot more.

Q. There were 71 other players in the hard lockdown. Did you bond through the experience? Have you kept in text contact?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, we have quite good relationship between us. They've been texting me quite a lot to see how I'm going. I've been doing the same. We've been talking to each other, how do you feel, how does your body feel. We hope that all these players, we get back in the level soon.

Q. Did you ever find out how you got COVID?

PAULA BADOSA: I have no idea. I don't know if it was in the plane, maybe before in the bubble in Abu Dhabi in the WTA. I have no idea where it was.

Q. What are your plans now beyond Melbourne?

PAULA BADOSA: First of all, I don't even know because I can't move right now. I will try to recover. These days, I have to play doubles as well. Let's see how it goes there. I will try to play the next week tournament.

Q. If you had to do it again in another country for another Grand Slam, would you do it?

PAULA BADOSA: No, no, because I lost a lot my level. I'm sad for the match, but I'm even more sad because I lost the level that I've been working so hard these two months in pre-season. So, no, I wouldn't repeat it.

Q. Do you think there was enough information before the tournament about the risk involved for players?

PAULA BADOSA: I don't know. I'm a little bit sorry, honestly. Honestly, I'm a little bit tired of talking about the same. It's been tough for me. I know people in Australia didn't understand what I was trying to explain at the beginning. I don't know. I'm tired, a little bit sorry.

Yeah, maybe wasn't explained the way. We didn't understand that it was going to be like that, but it was like that. I had to accept it.

Q. When you tested positive, there was a lot of criticism that came out of you from the media and Australian public. How did that feel to be sick in a hotel room alone and in addition to have all the sort of negativity dumped on you? What was that like emotionally?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, emotionally I have to be honest, it was tough reading all that kind of things. I didn't meant. I think people didn't understand me, what I wanted to explain.

I was trying, like, to find mentally they're not understanding what I'm explaining. I know the rules are the rules. But the conditions, they weren't for a Grand Slam, for an athlete, you know? It was tough mentally to get through all that.

In Australia, they were being very tough on me.

Q. What has the reaction been like in person? Have you talked to any people? Noticed any different reaction to you in Melbourne?

PAULA BADOSA: No. For the moment it's quite calm. For one second I have to be honest, I thought that maybe will be a little bit like that. But it was quite calm. My match was calm. No, it was okay.

Q. Similar to the last question, among players, you've heard from other players, what have you heard?

PAULA BADOSA: No, the players, they were very nice with me. They were texting me every day, see how I was. No, I don't have any complaint about the players. No, they've been treating me very well.