MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 25, 2021

Angelique Kerber

Press Conference

A. KERBER/R. Zarazua

6-0, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Probably an ideal way to start the event. Can you just talk through how you think that you were able to post that scoreline today?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, I think -- I mean, okay, the score, it's a little bit different than the match was, because it was really like few games are like really close and tough. To be honest, I never played against her, so I really don't have the idea how she is playing.

I spoke a little bit with Torben before, and he watched also the match when she played the first round, so I knew that I actually have to focus on my game. I was trying to being aggressive, yeah, trying to making a little bit like the transition which I'm trying the whole last weeks to do it on the match courts.

Yeah, today it works much better than the last few weeks. I'm quite happy about that.

Q. How are you feeling with the state of your game and how it's been able to kind of start to come together as the season has gone on? I mean, do you feel it's pretty close to where you'd like it to be? And where do you feel like you feel there is still some room for improvement?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, I was feeling actually good after the preseason, but okay, I was unfortunately in the two weeks of the hard lockdown in Australia, so that, yeah, that was a little bit of a setback after that.

But now it's like more that I'm coming back and I'm trying, you know, to playing a lot of matches and trying to being aggressive, learning also from the last matches, especially in Dubai and Doha, and that, yeah, I can play actually better.

I think it's still a process, and I'm trying to improving always my game. You know, I'm actually happy about the performance today. Now let's go on and try to continue that.

Q. Looking forward to playing Vika, a very familiar opponent to you, are there matches that you have played against her in the past that stand out in your memory as, yeah, that's what I think of when I think of playing Vika?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I mean, actually few matches. I remember the final in Brisbane. I remember the match which we played in Australia 2016. Also the match in New York which was so close and was really good match.

So there are a lot of matches against Vika in the past, so I know it's another hard battle against her. But this is why I'm here and to try to play good matches against the best, yeah, players.

Yeah, I'm looking forward and try to of course playing, yeah, like I played today and also like I played the last few days here in Miami.

You know, it will be a good match.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the challenges of playing through this time, traveling and the worry about not getting COVID and all that kind of stuff?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, of course it's a challenge to travel, to making all the tests every day or like every three, four days, and staying in the bubble, which is also a challenge, to be honest, not going out like usual, visiting restaurants and having time for yourself outside.

But I think it's a tough challenge for everyone, and I'm trying to, you know, to stay positive, try to see the positive things, that we are able to compete and, you know, to travel as we can.

But of course it's not the normal things that we know. Especially me. I mean, I'm already so many years on tour. But I think for everyone it's the same, and the most important thing now it's, you know, to still being safe and healthy and taking care and doing all the stuff that they are giving to us.

You know, it's a challenge for sure, but I think now you get a little bit used to everything.

Q. What have you learned the most about yourself, not involving tennis, through this kind of hard year for everyone?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, to just, you know, having time for yourself, for your family. Health is always the most important thing.

I think now we appreciate more the small things than before, so there are a lot of things that we can also take for ourself like positive things.