MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 28, 2021

Garbine Muguruza

Press Conference

G. MUGURUZA/A. Kalinskaya

4-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I'm curious about when you get through a tremendous win like that at a Masters 1000 like this, what do you take from that? How important is it mentally and physically to you to have such a significant test?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: You know, these are very tricky rounds where in a big tournament with a big draw that you face players that some of them are unknown. Doesn't mean they don't have a great level.

Today was proof of that. I felt I didn't brought my best tennis on court, but I brought my fighting spirit and I could match the level of fighting against Anna, and very happy to go through these tough matches. Doesn't matter if you play pretty or you play ugly, but you stay strong and you go through these rounds. That gives me an opportunity to feel better and to have another chance.

Q. When you have someone in your corner like Conchita Martinez, how important is that to have a Hall of Famer there? Can you talk a little bit about your relationship and how great a coach she is for you?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: It's very good to have her back after the last swing where she was unfortunately with the virus. We always had a great relation.

Since we met, I feel like I have to talk less, honestly, and that's very hard to find because, you know, she's been a player, she's been in those situations, you know, tough moments, good moments, days that you don't feel good, days that you feel great. So I don't feel -- you know, one look or one gesture is already we understand each other quickly. So I think it's a great communication.

Q. You showed us earlier the importance of mental toughness, especially there as your opponent kept fighting off your match points until you finally won the match. Can you explain to us how important being mentally tough is? Where do you acquire that type of knowledge?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, this is something that you have to get it through matches and through experience. I would say knowing to stay strong in the key moments.

Today we had a lot. It was a very physical match, was a long match and a lot of ups and downs. Tennistically it was tough conditions with windy, so it was a lot about staying strong, staying strong in important moments.

Especially at the end I had many match points and I didn't convert them, but they are still match points. So I have to stay calm and say, Hey, I might not have won but I'm still 5-4 serving, right? So why should I be sad? I will try to get the next opportunity. These are the key moments, and with the experience you learn a little bit more how to handle them.

Q. Just looking ahead, obviously we don't know who you are playing, either Andreescu or Anisimova. You have played them before, Anisimova very recently. Can you talk about the challenges of playing both of them? And also if you're concerned about the turnaround. You won't have a day rest after all that.

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I'm not concerned about the day of rest, because, I mean, I have been playing many matches back to back, so I feel like, you know, it's going to be a challenge, of course, because today was a very physical match and I could feel the heat and everything, but, you know, it's for everybody. Everybody has to play tomorrow, so all the players that play today are in the same circumstances.

I mean, I feel excited whoever wins. I don't have a preference. I have played both, so that gives me an idea of what to expect. I mean, there is no easy matches today. You know, I had very tough matches and I expect every time the same level of game, because this is really, since I started this year, every match is hard.

Q. On today's match you were saying you didn't bring your best tennis and really had to fight and everything. How would you rate kind of the difference between your level today and how much you had to just will yourself to win compared to the wins that you have had so far this season?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: I mean, I feel like there is days where you feel more fresh physically or the heat or just, you know, you're feeling like, Oh, okay, today my tennis it's a little bit off.

But that doesn't matter, because I have played so many matches where I'm feeling pain here or whatever reason. And you still have the fighting spirit and a lot of tennis in your hands. Might not be the perfect movie tennis but it's still a lot of weapons.

You never know also how the other one is feeling. So you've got to stay there and see where it goes.

Q. Going back a little bit to the past, Anna was a wildcard into this tournament. You received a wildcard to play Miami for the first time in 2012. What do you remember of those memories, getting that opportunity, being at a big tournament, playing for the first time and how much it would eventually mean to you to do well at a tournament like this?

GARBINE MUGURUZA: This is totally my breakthrough tournament almost 10 years ago when they, yeah, gave me a wildcard. I actually played well. I beat two top 10 players.

You know, that was a great sign for me that I had, you know, the level and I just had to learn many more things and become, you know, a better player.

But that proved me that I had tennis in my hand. It was very exciting when you're coming and you're young and you have this opportunity to play against top players and just to challenge yourself, to have a feel of how far am I, am I close, what do I have to learn, what do I have to improve? Yeah, I have very good memories.