MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 5, 2021

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/B. Bencic

6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to be in the semifinals in Madrid, your home country, home fans?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, thank you so much. It's an amazing feeling. I didn't expect this at all. Doing my first semifinals, my best result in my career in front of all my people, I couldn't ask for anything else.

Q. You played a pretty solid game today, two sets against a very, very, very tough opponent, No. 8 seed. Talk about the match, how you felt you played? How would you assess your game today?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I played quite a good match. I have to be honest, I was very nervous today because sometimes these matches are a little bit tricky when you played her two, three weeks ago and you think in your head that you have that opportunity to make a semifinals.

I was quite nervous, but I'm quite happy that I could control all that nerves and I could play my game quite good.

Q. You know, you alluded to, in your on-court interview, that you were nervous, but yet it seemed like you played so confidently out there, especially down the stretch in the second set when it counted most. What does it mean to keep your journey alive, and especially doing it in Madrid in your home country and with your home fans?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, as I say, it means a lot to do this result here at home and showing all my people that I'm through to my semifinals, so that's an amazing feeling.

I think what I'm most proud of all this week is how I did control my nerves during the week, because it wasn't easy, you know. Today I think it was the day that I was more nervous at all, because Belinda, she's an amazing player. She plays aggressive. I knew I had to play aggressive as well. She was playing quite good. She was serving good. It was quite tough.

Q. After you won, you got down on your hands and knees and kissed the clay. Was that totally a spontaneous thing that you did? It was a beautiful moment to see you celebrating in the way that you did it. By the way, what does it taste like to taste the clay?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, it wasn't a spontaneous moment (smiling). I didn't even think at that moment. But, yeah, I love playing on clay. I love playing at home. It was a special moment. I didn't even thought what I was doing.

It didn't felt so good, because I had clay in all my face (smiling). But, yeah, I'm happy about it.

Q. What does it mean for you to be the first Spanish player to make the quarterfinals here in Madrid on the women's side?

PAULA BADOSA: Oh, I didn't know this information, but it means a lot. I mean, there has been a lot of Spanish players, amazing Spanish players starting with Garbine, Carla, Anabel, a lot of good players, Conchita, Arantxa. So making this result means a lot to me.

At home, I mean, every time they were asking me which tournament would you like to win or would you like to do a good result, I always said in Madrid. So I'm super happy that this is coming true.

Q. What does a week like this do for your confidence? I mean, I know your confidence has already grown a lot since last fall and obviously this year with the results in Charleston and Lyon, but to do what you have done here, especially under the pressure of playing in Spain, do you feel like this is a breakthrough for you?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, I think I'm slowly getting more confidence every match. I'm getting through a lot of tough moments in the match, a lot of nerves. I'm quite controlling them, and I'm quite happy that I'm making like big steps on that.

So it was a little bit my goal this year to mentally make these small steps, and I'm doing it. So I'm quite happy, and I think I'm doing good work with my team.

Q. Now you have another big match, either playing against Ash, No. 1, or Petra. Just your thoughts on that potential matchup.

PAULA BADOSA: Well, they are two amazing champions. Petra won here three times, so she knows how it is to win here. She has an amazing shots and she's very aggressive. She plays very, very good.

And Ash, what can I say? She's No. 1 in the world. She's winning all the tournaments lately. I played her in Charleston. I expect a completely different match. She's the No. 1 in the world. Now she knows me.

As I say, No. 1 in the world, they don't like to make mistakes two times in a row, so for sure I expect a tough match and completely different as Charleston.

Q. As you continued your journey round by round, have you heard from anyone famous within either the tennis world or among Spanish culture, anyone that has congratulated you and has given you best wishes?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, some people here are congratulating me. Well, outside of the tennis world, maybe in the football world, Pique text me yesterday, called me. He was happy on that. He's following a lot the tennis. He's with the Davis Cup.

So, yeah, he congratulated me and it made me a little bit happy because I followed him since I was a little girl with the football, and I'm a Barcelona fan. It make me excited.