ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2022

Marie Bouzkova

Press Conference

M. BOUZKOVA/A. Gasanova

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Can you just give us your thoughts on the match, first of all?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: I think I approached the match really well. Just felt good today overall. Just felt really concentrated since the start till the end. I just enjoyed it.

Q. I had a question about the graduation.

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yes. I saw that coming (smiling).

Q. But can you just talk about what that experience was like? It looked like you got the full tour of IU East. How does it feel to be a college graduate?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, it was great. I'm really happy I made the trip. I just spent the full day on campus, and then we had the commencement ceremony. So just being there with 500 other students was really nice. I saw CiCi Bellis there, as well. It was nice to see. I'm glad I came.

Just for me was really special to have that, you know, sort of thing in my life. You know, I think it was really important for me.

So, yeah, I just really enjoyed it. It was really nice to see, you know, my teachers, as well, because I have never met them in person before, so just got a chance to talk to them a little bit.

Yeah, just felt like 100% student that day, you know, with the gown and everything. It was just great.

Q. Not a lot of tennis players would skip a WTA 1000 in order to fly back to the United States to do something like that. Talk about that decision. I guess that's a reflection of how much it meant to you?

MARIE BOUZKOVA: Yeah, for sure. I bought the dress for the commencement ceremony already last year. I knew I'm going.

I'm just glad it wasn't in this week of, you know, a Grand Slam. I don't know what I would do then (smiling).

Just glad it worked out. Obviously missing Rome, you know, just missed the tournament. I love to play there. Hopefully I will get a chance to play for many more years to come. And having a commencement ceremony isn't something you do every day or every year. So that decision for me was quite easy, to be honest. Next year I will make it up in Rome.