ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2021

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/M. Vondrousova

6-4, 3-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you reflect on what has been a crazy year for you starting in Australia, the six months you've been through.

PAULA BADOSA: I think that was a tough experience, but in that moment I think I managed that quite well in that situation in January, February, recovering from all that.

Well, after that I think I did a good job. I tried to get back on my form pretty fast. I think I did it. Then the clay court season came, and I'm feeling very good. I'm very happy of what I'm doing, of what I'm achieving.

Yeah, that's an experience that happened, but it stays there, so it's okay.

Q. You said I think maybe in Charleston or something you were working hard with Javi, kind of stopped and said, Promise me we're going to have a good clay season given all this work we're doing. Is this what you had in mind, quarterfinal at Roland Garros, first WTA title, Madrid semifinal? Is this what you envisioned back then?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, I have to be honest, I don't think I envision all these kind of things. I wanted to do a good clay court season. I was feeling good. I was working hard. I think my game suits quite good on clay. I was wanting it so, so much. I was working hard for it. It's coming.

I didn't expect doing all these results. I was expecting doing it quite good, but not like this.

Q. The last time you played Marketa was here in the juniors, you went on to win the title. What do you remember from that match? What were you most pleased with today?

PAULA BADOSA: I remember was a tough one. She was No. 1 in the world in juniors in that moment. I knew that match was like a little bit the tournament match. I remember it was quite tough, very tactical match. She's a very smart player. Today was the same six years after, but it was the same situation.

She plays very smart. It was a tough one. I think I managed the nerves pretty well. I'm quite happy I could win the match and I played a good level in the third set.

Q. What would you say is different about your game? What kind of improvements have you focused on to carry you to the final eight of a Grand Slam?

PAULA BADOSA: I think I improve a little bit on everything: mentally, physically, my tennis has change as well. I think I'm improving step by step every day a little bit.

I think, of course, the confidence helps, believing on yourself. Every shot that I'm playing, I think I'm hitting it different since few months ago. I'm feeling more confidence. That's, of course, helps.

I think the most important that I'm improving day by day a little bit of everything.

Q. Your coach Javier was compared to Rafa Nadal during his career. How much can he help you to deal with expectations from his experience?

PAULA BADOSA: I really like this question because it's a little bit like that. I think he's helping me like everything on the expectations. He know what it is to have expectations when you're very young and you're a very good player, you have a bright future ahead you. That's a little bit my situation. I think we have really similar situations when we were young.

In this moment he's helping me a lot on that. Since the moment I came here, I had expectations. People was believing I could do a good tournament. That mentally was a little bit tough for me to handle it. But I think I managed them very well. I think he has an amazing part of it because he's been helping me every day on that.

Q. You and Javi would have had similar expectations while you're young. Talking about expectations coming into this event, what are some of the mental tricks you have learned over time to not let yourself get down, become paralyzed by the expectations?

PAULA BADOSA: I think the key a little bit is to make it simple. Sometimes when you have a lot of expectations, your head goes like two matches ahead. Sometimes unconsciously it goes like that.

I think the good job I did with him, with Javi, is day by day, even the days I wasn't playing, day off, was focused on that day, being better that day. That's what a little bit we're doing, not thinking about too much about the next match or what can happen or that.

A little bit what we are doing is going day by day, trying to be better every day, be focus on the two hours, three hours of my match, but focus on improving every day. A little bit that's helping me.

Q. A lot of people were impressed by the match you played against Ana. It was such a physical match. How important was the recovery coming into this one?

PAULA BADOSA: It was quite important because I think that match was really, really tough. I think it was a very good level of match. I did a good recovery yesterday. Today I was feeling quite okay. I have a day off tomorrow, as well.

I'm feeling quite okay. Of course, when you're winning matches and when you're in quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, you're not hundred percent or you're not perfect. But still I'm feeling okay and I'm ready for what's coming.

Q. I noticed in the last match, during the big points, you often point to your head. If you would like to keep winning here at Roland Garros, what do you think is the most important thing for you: How you use your racquet or your head?

PAULA BADOSA: Hmm. Well, I think I always thought that tennis is 80% of mental. I think when you're in these rounds, of course the racquet is important, how you play, it's very important. I think it's a little bit more important how you manage all the nerves in the important moments.

I think when you're here, the mental thing, it's a little bit the key.