BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 18, 2022

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/P. Badosa

6-2, 4-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Can you talk about the match tonight?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, first of all, I want to congratulate Maria. She really deserved it. I thought she played a really good match. I didn't play my best tennis today.

But credits to her because it was her fault that maybe I didn't play as well as I wanted and nothing else. Congratulate her.

Q. Great tournament for you. Today, what do you think, or what do you wish you did better that would have made that slide a little bit more your way?

PAULA BADOSA: Everything. I think I didn't serve well, the returns either. Then at the baseline I was missing a little bit a lot and I was not being quite aggressive.

But she played very well. She served well. She was moving very well. She was playing very fast. So she didn't let me a lot of time to like build the points. So, yeah, that's a little bit what I saw in the match today.

Q. I know it's fresh off the court, but can you reflect a little bit on the last two weeks on what is your takeaway from your first attempt to defend a title at the level you were able to play here at Indian Wells as well?

PAULA BADOSA: I think I played in a very good level. I won good matches. I'm happy about how I defended the title.

Of course, right now I'm sad and I see everything negative, but I suppose that tomorrow I will see it better, more positive, and I'm happy about how I was mentally and my fighting spirit. I was very competitive every match.

So, yeah, I think it was a positive week.

Q. Today's match, there were a lot of ups and downs. Can you discuss how you deal with so much emotions. Like, first set she was playing really well. Second set you came back, but also tough breaks and had lots of ups and downs, so can you discuss the emotions of the game?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I mean, she played very good the first and the third set. I was just trying to stick there. I wasn't, from the beginning, I wasn't having the best feelings, but sometimes you don't have that feelings and the only option that you have is to keep fighting. That's what I tried to do and that's why it was a little bit more emotional because I was getting angry because I couldn't play my tennis.

But still, I don't know, what to say anymore.

Q. What's next for you, your immediate plans, and what are some things that you're looking forward to?

PAULA BADOSA: Tomorrow I will rest. I have pain everywhere, so, yeah. And then after I will go to Miami and prepare because of course conditions are totally different. The balls are changing again. So it's another different world, another tournament starting over, so I have to go there to adapt myself.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.