THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2021

Angelique Kerber

Press Conference

A. KERBER/C. Gauff

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your thoughts on the challenge that Coco posed to you in this match and how you were able to handle it?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it was, yeah, a good match. It's never easy to play against someone who you never played, especially against someone, yeah, like Coco. She is, like, really a youngster player which I think has a really nice and great future and career in front of her.

I was trying to be focused, trying to playing my game. Yeah, and going forward if I had the chances, especially in the second set, middle of the second set, then closing the match with my serve.

Q. What do you see in her at age 17 as a predictor for her future?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think she's really professional when you see her on the courts practicing really hard. Also, like, her mindset is really going out there, winning matches. She has a great serve. Also her backhand is unbelievable.

I think when she will have more and more experience on the big stages, she will for sure have a really great future and career.

Q. Can you reflect on the last two and a half weeks? What is it for you that has clicked so hard in terms of finding this level, playing with joy?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I really enjoy to play on grass. I think this is always really special for me. Playing two tournaments in Germany starting the grass court season like this, then winning, I don't know, like my tournament in Germany, playing in front of the crowd again, yeah, this give me again, like, new energy to go out there and enjoy my tennis.

I really worked hard in the last few months. Being able now to playing matches like this, winning close matches, going out there and enjoying it, feeling my tennis, it's always a good sign.

Being now in the quarters here again, yeah, it's really great. I'm looking forward to the next round.

Q. Everybody talks about how slams are two-week events, the second week being a whole new type of tournament. Especially Wimbledon in the second week, what is the key to getting through and putting yourself into the final?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think the key is just being focused on every single day. You never know what can happen. Two weeks are really long. The conditions can change. It can rain. Then it's really hot outside.

You have to stay focused in your own way, on your routine, taking every single day by day. Also the matches are completely different. You have always, like, a fight in some way.

For me it's more to stay on my way and focusing how I played the last few weeks, but especially going with the mindset that every match starts from zero and I want to win it. It's more like also the confidence from the first week, taking it to the second week.

Q. Muchova, talk about your next opponent.

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think she's really a tricky opponent. She plays well on grass with her slice. We played few times, but never on grass.

I think it will be an interesting match. I know it will be another tough battle out there. Like I played the last few matches, it's more the thing to focusing on my game, being aggressive, enjoying my grass court tennis.