BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 14, 2022

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/S. Sorribes Tormo

7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Do you want to talk about the match tonight.

PAULA BADOSA: Well, I'm very happy that I got the win today. It was a really tough match, very physical match. Mentally, as well, it was very tough for me.

Yeah, really happy that I got through the first set. I think it was a very tough one. Then second set was much better.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I know Sara is a nice person and one of your good friends. It looked for a while it was miserable to try to play her the way she was playing. What were you doing particularly in the tiebreak to get the set?

PAULA BADOSA: Pray (smiling).

I think today she played very, very good in the first set. She was a very, very tough opponent. I was expecting that. I mean, she's a fighter. She's doing an amazing year. Last year was amazing for her.

The bad part is that we know each other very well. Before I was already hitting she already was in the spot. That was the negative part.

But still I'm happy about her level. I think she's improving a lot. Really happy that I stayed there because it was very tough for me. Every point was very long. I knew I had to keep fighting and I will have my opportunity. I got that opportunity in the tiebreak.

Q. Do you generally prefer playing at night or during the day?

PAULA BADOSA: I prefer playing at night. Maybe against Sara I prefer playing by day.

No, I like to play at night. I like the conditions. I like when the conditions are a little bit slower and I can hit the ball hard and I know it's not going to go out.

Yeah, I like to play by night.

Q. When you stepped to the line to start the tiebreak, did you say to yourself to hit out on the ball? Seemed like you were whipping the forehand in the tiebreak.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I knew I had to go a little bit more for it. Sometimes it's tough because I know Sara lives a lot with errors of the other one. I didn't want to make a lot. I knew it was very tactic.

In that moment when you're a little bit at the limit, I knew I had to go maybe a little bit more for it, especially with my forehand. That's what I did in a few points. I think that's what gave me the first set, yeah.

Q. How are you afterwards? Do you text each other? Do you speak? How long does it take?

PAULA BADOSA: Not that much. I haven't seen her now. My goal right now is to recover for next match. But for sure we going to talk. It's going to be like another match.

Of course, it's never easy to play a friend. But in that moment I don't think she's my friend on court. I know how to separate things.

Yeah, of course when I saw her level of tennis today, I feel sad because maybe she doesn't deserve to lose today because she was playing very good. But it goes like this.

Yeah, for sure going to talk soon.

Q. Either Leylah or Shelby. Talk about what each opponent presents to you.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, Shelby, I think she won very good two matches here. She's a good player. She has very good shots. She always does a good results here. I think she likes to play here. She's going to be a tough one to beat.

Leylah, I mean, she's coming from winning a tournament. She's with lots of confidence. She's an amazing player. I was going to say in the future because she is very young, but I think she is in the present already.

Yeah, I expect a very tough match on that one, as well.

Q. You're into almost the business side of the tournament. Does it feel like a regular tournament now or does it still feel like you are defending a title?

PAULA BADOSA: I never felt I was defending. As I said the first day, I won this in October, so I don't feel it really. I'm not going to lie.

But every tournament I start with pressure, I start with nerves because I want to do it well, because I'm in a spot right now or in a place right now that maybe I'm playing as a favorite, so people is expecting me to be in quarterfinals, semifinals every tournament. Of course you have pressure.

I don't really care if I'm defending a title or no. I'm going to have pressure, I'm not going to lie, since the beginning.

I'm just playing match by match. Today was a tough one mentally and physically. The other day was another one, as well. I just want to get matches, a lot of matches, to get confidence. Slowly I try to find my best tennis.

Q. You mentioned you watch tennis all the time on several screens. Do you also read about tennis?

PAULA BADOSA: You mean, social media?

Q. Or that.

PAULA BADOSA: Books I get tired of books. I don't like to read a lot, to be honest. I like more to watch and analyze. I enjoy watching tennis. Usually don't try to read a lot. When you win matches, everything you read is very nice, but when you start losing a few, everything is very bad. I don't want to get depressed on that part.

No, I prefer watching tennis. I really, really enjoy watching it because I really love the sport.

Q. When you watch tennis, do you listen to the commentary or do you narrate what you see to yourself?

PAULA BADOSA: Depends of the day. Sometimes I have the volume on. If I see the commentating normal, something that makes sense, I like it. Sometimes, to be honest, I have to turn the volume off because I see some things that they are saying like don't you see they're having pressure at this time or something.

Normally I put the volume on if the comments are normal.