WTA FINALS

November 16, 2021

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

G. MUGURUZA/P. Badosa

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Paula, obviously not the result you wanted today, but you must be proud of your performance here this week. Tell us your thoughts on the match.

PAUL BADOSA: Yeah, well today I think was a tough day. I didn't feel myself. I didn't play the match that I was expecting. But I think she played good, she played well at the important moments. All the credits to her.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the source or the reason why you weren't able to get your best tennis today?

PAUL BADOSA: I don't know. If I knew, I could do it on court, to be honest. I don't really know what happened. I didn't feel myself. I was trying some shots and I was missing.

As well, I think she played good. What she had to do, she did it well. What I had to do, I didn't do it well. I think it was like that.

I'm sad that I couldn't, like, compete, you know?

Q. Obviously it's the end of your season. Hopefully this result doesn't put a damper on what you did this year. If you step back, what do you take out of your first participation in the WTA Finals?

PAUL BADOSA: It's different. It's intense. You play every two days. It's like a final of a big tournament because you're playing against the top eight players. You have to be ready for it. It's quite intense mentally, as well.

But I think I played very good matches. I started well. I enjoyed playing here in Mexico, as well, in front of the fans. I think they were very nice to us, to Spanish players.

Well, I will try to take all the positive things of this week.

Q. What are you looking forward to most now that your season is over?

PAUL BADOSA: Turn off my phone and rest during a week (smiling).

I won't have much time because I know in one month I have to be almost in Australia. I'll be resting mentally, but not physically. I will start to train. But it's okay. If I rest mentally, everything will be okay.

Q. What are you thinking of in terms of the off-season, things that you have to get better? You say you can improve everything, but is there anything specific in your game?

PAUL BADOSA: Well, everything. But then second, maybe I want to go more to the net. I know I'm a very good baseline player, so maybe I want to do that kind of thing sometimes. I don't know.

I like to have a quite different things, different games. I like to be aggressive, but as well I want to be a good defensive player. I don't know, I have to work a little bit on everything.

Mentally I have to do another step because it's not the same. To start the year 70 like last year, now to start the year 8, I will have a lot of expectations. Mentally it will be tough because every player will want to win me. I'll have to do another step forward on that.

Of course, physically I have to improve a little bit more.

Q. The run at Indian Wells and making the Finals here, what did that teach you about what your level is as opposed to semifinals Madrid, Roland Garros qualifies? What does it mean for 2022 and what you expect for yourself?

PAUL BADOSA: Yeah, I think these two tournaments help me a little bit more on self-belief, that I can win these kind of tournaments. I think I always had the level, a very good level, but I was taking a long time to do that step.

Maybe in Madrid I did semifinals. To be honest in that semifinals, of course I was playing Ashleigh Barty, she's No. 1, she's an amazing player, but I didn't compete as well.

It was like very new for me, all these situations, being on these rounds, playing in front of a lot of people. Everything was really big at the beginning of the season, having these results.

I think now I quite feel it's more like normal and I'm getting used to it. I think that will help me for next year as well if I want to do big things.