MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 27, 2021

Petra Kvitova

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've had a few days since Stuttgart. Are you physically and mentally prepared to take on Madrid?

PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, it was a quick turnaround, for sure. After my loss, I packed and I went home by car. It was a little weird today because I came in the middle of the night. It was kind of tiring day.

But I've been very happy to be home, do my laundry, just pack again, and we came yesterday. Yeah, it was a quick one. Two days at home. I'm back here. I just hit actually. It was great. I'm really glad that finally we can be here when we missed it last year.

Q. You've had good success in Madrid. Are you optimistic for a good week ahead?

PETRA KVITOVA: I'm not thinking really like this. I mean, as I mentioned, my last match in Stuttgart was very, very painful. I was pretty tired afterwards, as well. So for me it's important to be healthy right now. Definitely when the match will come, it will be great again. I'm really looking forward for it.

I mean, everybody's playing here. Any match can be very interesting. That's how I see it. I'm really looking forward. It's important, I think.

Q. Your first opponent here is Bouzkova. What did you learn from your only meeting in Cincinnati?

PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I mean, it's pretty interesting to play Czech for sure in the first round here in a tough tournament.

What I learn? I mean, that I really have to play until the end. I played set and a half very, very good, then I think my concentration a little bit dropped down. That's how she took the chance. I think this is important for me to keep going whole match.

It will be a little bit different, of course. We're going to play on the clay. I think that both of us kind of like more hard courts. It will be interesting for us to see how we are going here.

Yeah, I mean, I can't choose the opponent. Everybody is really playing great. That's how it is.

Q. What would it mean to you to win here for fourth time in your career?

PETRA KVITOVA: I mean, it's pretty far ahead.

Well, already to win it three times, it's unbelievable for me actually. I think the conditions suits really my game. I will like it. It's flying very nicely. I like the courts, as well.

So already three times is unbelievable. If it's fourth time, I mean, it's not even dream I would call it.

Q. Talk a little bit about what this tournament has meant to you in your career.

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, to be honest, I think it's meant for kind of turning around in my head for the clay a little bit. Even this is the attitude which helping me a little bit.

But overall it was my first tournament when I really, like, realized I can play well on the clay, as well. I think it was 2011 when was my season I won Wimby and WTA Finals. Of course, I won some tournaments even before, but Madrid was the biggest I won that year.

I think it really showed me that I can play well not even on the clay but I can beat the best players in the world. I think it really gave me a lot experiences as well and confidence at times. Yeah, that's how I feel it.

Q. You've had great success at this event. What is the challenge for you to win this title?

PETRA KVITOVA: I think now it's little bit longer, starting on Thursday, finishing Sunday. Before we started on Saturday, it was less two days. It's been very packed. I mean, it's huge tournament with the greatest players playing. It's really packed. Almost we are playing every day, or it was in the past.

That was really tough, as well, because you just finished against great opponent, and you another day played another one since, I don't know, second round or third round. It was a little bit like second week of the Grand Slam but really with great players. That will be very tough.

Q. Having a Thursday start means you have to get to this event a little bit earlier, in Madrid for a longer amount of time. At the same time it might give you more days rest throughout the week. Do you think it impacts or changes the rhythm of the event for you?

PETRA KVITOVA: To be honest, I think I like the rhythm of the Madrid even before. Of course, I prefer the old one. But, I mean, we will see. It's for the first time like this, so we going to see.

I feel like it's very packed. We have to be a little bit like earlier here, as well, because of the testing and COVID situations. I just finished in the Stuttgart, it was really quick around being here again.

I feel like it's really packed kind of. It's really going so fast. I will see how it's going. Of course, when the tournament will start and we going to have some days off, it will be probably better for the body.