MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 30, 2021

Bianca Andreescu

Press Conference

B. ANDREESCU/G. Muguruza

3-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Give me your thoughts on another three-set battle today.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: It was really tough. She started out playing really, really well. I don't think I was at the level I wanted to be right at the start of the match, because I knew she was going to come out really, really strong, and that's what she did.

But I had to readapt, which I did in the second set. I regrouped. I kept fighting. I changed my game plan a little bit as well. And it worked.

Q. Next you will be playing Sara Sorribes Tormo on Wednesday. She's been playing a lot of Canadians. She played Leylah in Monterrey and Genie in Guadalajara. Your thoughts on that?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. I have seen her play. I know she gets to a lot of balls. She has a very heavy spinny ball. She's a crazy fighter. I want to go out there and fight even harder and hopefully I can do good things.

Q. What are you most proud of about pulling out a three-set win? What did you learn about yourself from a hard-fought match?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: It's always satisfying getting that three-setter, especially after losing the first set. So to me what I was super happy about that match was how even when I'm down -- and I knew this about myself. Even when I'm down I know I can find a way. Most of the time, not all of the time. Most of the time I can always find a way and come back and do really, really well.

I keep proving that to myself, and it's really nice to get that under my belt. I felt super, super pumped the whole match, considering everything that's been happening. I'm just super, super happy.

Q. Tell us about the conditions. And also tell us, Garbine said a little bit...(indiscernible).

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I didn't get the last question.

Q. That she had a pain and some...

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Did she have a pain?

Q. Yes.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Like in her body?

Q. Yes.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I'm not sure. I really wasn't paying attention. I felt good though. Like my groin is a little bit sore, but other than that I'm feeling good. I don't know about her.

But the conditions, they are not easy. Playing in Miami in humidity is always tough. I'm legit, if I could, I would go to my towel every single point because my hands are always drenched, and I could change my outfit every three games. It's insane.

But I'm managing, and I know everyone is in the same position as well. So I'm trying to do my best with that.

Q. I guess you mentioned your groin pain. I saw you wearing the bike shorts which I don't think you usually do. I wondered if that was part of a treatment for any stiffness you were feeling. And secondly, that squash shot winner you hit that you didn't see or you weren't sure you won the point, can you talk through that moment? That was pretty cool to see.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, no, I wasn't wearing biker shorts. I wrapped my thighs because my groin was feeling a bit sore after the tough three-setter with Amanda, but nothing serious at all.

And, yeah, that point, like, I went for it. I just went for it. Like I didn't look on the other side. I was like, if I get it, I get it. If I don't, I don't. Because I was not recovering after that.

And I felt my groin a little bit when I was running, so that's kind of what I was paying attention to, but then I turned around and everyone is clapping for me. I'm, like, Oh, that's so nice. I made that. It shows that I can get to a lot of balls and every ball counts really.

Q. It was a great match to watch. I hope it felt as great playing it. It looked like you had a little wobble on your foot in the second set, and after that you were walking a bit gingerly. Did something happen over there?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: It was just my groin, like I said. I felt it after the match with Amanda. It was a really tough match. But it's more preventive, but at the same time I did feel it a little bit in this match because it was also very, very tough. But I pushed through it, and I know it's nothing serious. So I'm trying not to focus on that and just trying to focus on my game.

Q. Early in the third set it looked like you were talking to your coaches and maybe expressing a little bit of frustration with how your shots were going. Is that what was happening there? How did you get over that?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. In the heat of the moment, I tend to show my emotions a little bit more, but that's just me. Like I'm not trying to change that. I don't want to control that really, because that's just how I am.

What I was saying to them was, like, my returns, I was talking about my returns, they are literally on my racquet and I'm missing. That's what I told him. It's just super frustrating, because I have this thing with my coach where if I touch it, I make it. It's like, touch, make it. And when I don't, I kind of got frustrated about that, and that was happening a lot today.

There was also a lot of other good returns, so I wasn't that upset but, yeah, that was it.

Q. How important is for you to beat a player like Muguruza thinking about she's right now the top player? I believe this is your best win since your comeback?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. Yeah, I agree. I felt super pumped in the match, and after the match I was constantly smiling, like, I'm just super, super happy, because I feel like I'm really back to -- okay, maybe not fully but I'm getting there, and I feel like this was a step closer to feeling as good as I was in 2019.

I just want to keep rolling like that and feeling really good out there and clutching tough moments.

Q. This is such a great run. You have been through so much. Can you just take a minute and describe, did you have doubts during this tough run back to the circuit? What did you use to get back? Did you use your visualization and positive thinking? Could you just talk about that for a moment, please.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: For sure. I was dealing with a lot the past couple months, even 2020. It wasn't that good of a year for me in many ways. I was super down on myself. I'm not gonna sit here and say, like, yeah, it was okay. It really wasn't.

What really got me through that were my family and my friends. To me, that was the most important thing, just having my family and my friends by my side. They really showed me the way and how this sport is really meant for me and how I have -- I talk about this a lot, like a bigger purpose in life, and I'll be able to achieve that by playing this sport. That just gives me motivation to continue and to have the same passion and love for the game.

It's showing. At the beginning of the year, not so much, but now it's showing and I'm trusting the process and it's really turning out well for me.

Q. What is the bigger purpose? Could you just say a little bit about that, please.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, there are a couple of things, but I believe that one of them is to inspire and to help others. Through tennis, I think I can do a lot of that.

Q. You said in your first answer that somewhere along the line in the match you changed your game plan, and not many people have been able to solve Garbine in 2021. So what do you think was the key in terms of tactically switching things up?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, I felt like at the beginning I wasn't as consistent. She was just playing really, really well, as well, on top of that.

But I felt like I was going too much on her forehand in the first set, so I kind of regrouped and, like, I tried to pick what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. I just told myself, Okay, like, her backhand was still really good but I'll pick on that a little bit more. That made a big difference.

And also, continuing to make my returns because I think that puts a lot of pressure on your opponent. Especially if you're holding serve, which I think I did well today. Just continuing to fight, because that really discourages the other opponent. I mean, I can put myself in that situation, too. Like if my opponent is fighting really, really hard, that discourages me too. So my goal is to fight the hardest on that day.

Q. Do you feel like tonight was, in terms of being able to make those tactical adjustments, that's obviously what we saw a lot from you in 2019 in terms of solving matches, do you feel as though tonight was the first time that you could just get out of your own way and do that, you know, like you weren't stressed or concerned or anything? That this felt like, I don't know, being able to shift quickly?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah. That's kind of how it felt, because I didn't put pressure on myself. That's what I did coming into 2021, because I haven't played in so long. It's like, Oh, I'm still top 10, so people are going to expect a lot from me.

But that's all unconscious. I try not to, but I feel like this tournament I'm just going with the flow and just having fun out there. It's really showing, and I want to continue like that because that's when I play my best tennis.