ROLAND GARROS

June 7, 2021

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

B. KREJCIKOVA/S. Stephens

6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were talking during Strasbourg week about some tournaments you played in Czech Republic last year. You said that tournaments make you feel yourself ready to the singles challenge, for facing top players. Can you talk more about that.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Can you say the end again?

Q. Can you talk about tournaments, how important it was for you?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I think it was really important. I think it was really important because I played all the top girls because Czech nation we have so many good, top players. I had actually opportunity to play against them, to watch them how they practice, to watch how they prepare for the matches and everything.

I think there was something that helped me for sure because I was outside top 100, and I felt I can actually play with all these girls, but, you know, just my ranking wasn't there. I wasn't able to actually play the same tournaments.

So I think all these tournaments, they really helped me, because I just had opportunity to see, you know, to see the best players and to actually have a chance to play with them. I just felt that, yeah, like, my game is there, but I have to just get my ranking there.

Q. You haven't played Coco before I think in singles. Have you played her in doubles?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I did, yeah.

Q. What's your impression of her game? How do you feel about that matchup?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I mean, she's, you know, she's young, she's amazing, she's coming up. You know, she's gonna be the next star.

I mean, I'm just gonna go have fun, enjoy. You know, do my best. Try to prepare a good game plan. I mean, right now I don't really think about it, because, you know, I'm just gonna go, I'm playing mixed later on today, I'm gonna play doubles tomorrow. Just so many other categories that I have to prepare for and think of.

So I'm just gonna -- you know, right now I'm just gonna enjoy I played really well today and that I beat Sloane and that I'm in my first quarterfinals.

After that, after I finish my mixed, doubles and stuff, then I'm gonna think about what I should play against Coco and what's happening.

Q. Can you give some insight into the tactics that you kind of went into today's match with? Because it just looked like a bit of a tactical master class from you in terms of being able to face Sloane and take her apart. What did you think you wanted to do today?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I don't know if it's a good thing to actually say out loud my tactic, because I'm still in this tournament and also for upcoming tournaments I don't really think it's good. I don't know if I'm gonna say anything close.

But, you know, I was just thinking I have to play my game, I have to be aggressive, because I was expecting she's gonna play like high, really topspin balls. And it was actually happening. And then, you know, I just think that I was playing smarter.

Also, I felt that -- I was actually playing all those important points really well, so I think that was actually the key, because if I didn't play those points well, it would be 1-All, 2-All, 3-All. As I was able to break her and get a little bit, like a little bit jump a little bit out, like a little bit in front or -- I don't know how to say that -- you know, that I can play more relaxed and that she's gonna be a little bit more intense.

Because I felt, you know, I felt a little bit that I actually wasn't the favorite. I felt that Sloane was the favorite. That's how I actually approached the match.

Q. I think the on-court mics caught you talking to Marion Bartoli a little bit as you were walking off court. You were telling her you were incredibly nervous, if I heard it right, today for the match. As you go into these late stages of new territory in singles for you, how are you managing that, and how much of the experience of playing in high-stakes matches in other, you know, whether it's mixed or doubles or things like that, plays into this right now?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I actually really don't know what happened today, because, you know, I just woke up and I just felt really, I don't know, I just felt really bad. I don't know why. I just felt really stressed. I don't know why or what for.

You know, half an hour before the match, I didn't even want to step on the court, because I just really felt really bad, and I had to, like, lock myself in the physio room and I had to talk to my psychologist. I actually -- I was actually crying. I don't know. I just felt really, really bad, and I don't know why. It just happened.

We talk about it a lot, and, you know, she told me like, you know, this is something -- you know, if you can overcome this, what you feel right now, it's going to be a huge win, and it doesn't matter if you're gonna win on the court or lose on the court, because it's going to be a personal win.

I just went there on the court, and I know that it didn't look like it, but I just felt really, really bad. You know, I was just happy that I started well. I think after the first point, you know, things got a little bit better, a little bit easier. Then I broke her. I just felt like, yeah, you know, I can play, I can actually play her (smiling).

So I think I was just more stressed that, you know, I'm just not gonna be good enough. I think that's what happened.

Q. Thank you for sharing that, Barbora, that's very interesting. Curious, on that note, you're 25 and you're playing some of your very best tennis now. You played so well today. Curious how you see not just about Coco but people that age, we have such an obsession in some ways with the young players, prodigies who come through and do so well. What do you think about that, and do you think we put too much emphasis on the young ones? How do you see the prodigies in tennis?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I don't think I understand the question.

Q. Do you think we put too much focus on the young players because they are young when they do well, as the media? Coco is 17. We talk a lot about her because she's so young. Is that fair to those players, right in the game?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I don't know. I mean, I don't know. I mean, she's young. She's incredible. She's doing really well. You know, she has the weapons. She has the game. I think she's mentally really tough.

I mean, I don't know. I don't know -- I mean, it's really tough for me actually to say that, because I always played doubles, and I was always happy when we actually came really far, and I was actually able to talk to press, because I just felt like I have something to say, and that I would like to actually share it with the world, but I never really got the opportunity because I just felt like most of the media stuff was actually with the singles players and not really with the doubles players.

So actually, right now I'm really happy that I'm actually talking to you, and I really appreciate it, because right now I can say what I think and I have something that I want to say.

I mean, like, I don't know how I would approach this if I was 17 and I was actually doing this well. I think it would be just too much pressure, I think it would be just too much pressure for me and maybe I won't be able to handle this. Everybody is different. Everybody is doing different thing. She's doing really good in singles. She is also a great doubles player.

But, I mean, I think it's really personal. I think it really depends on the person, how they feel and, you know, how open they can be and how mature -- is "mature" the right word -- "mature" they are. Then it depends how well you can handle all this press, if you win or if you lose. You know, it can be really nice and it can be really difficult. That's my opinion of that.