ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2022

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

D. PARRY/B. Krejcikova

1-6, 6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Obviously not the result you'd have wanted today. What was your overall assessment of today's match?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it was difficult. I mean, I expected it's going to be difficult, and it was. I think overall the tennis-wise it wasn't that bad. I think physically was a little worse.

But I think, you know, I have to start somewhere, so it's a pity that it had to be here and I didn't have any other matches, but I think it's good way to move forward.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You started off very well, at least in the score in this match, and won a lot of points in a row in the first set. Wondering where you thought things turned for you? If you hit like a wall or something physically?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I think set and 2-0, that was where I hit the wall.

Q. What happened there?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: You know, I just think I just collapsed physically, and, I mean, it was tough because I didn't play the matches. Usually the matches are different than the practices, and I tried to prepare the best way I could.

But, yeah, I collapsed.

Q. Would you have come back this soon if it wasn't for Roland Garros and being defending champion coming up? Would you have taken more time?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I'm not sure about this one. I'm not sure. But, yeah, for sure, I didn't want to miss this one. Yeah.

Q. When you say "hit the wall" or "collapsed physically," do you mean feeling you weren't ready to play a long match? Was it that your arm was bothering you? Wondering in what way was there a physical problem for you?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I just felt that, we started to play rallies, and I was there, like for those shots, I started to be a little late. That's where I felt that I started to miss balls and where the match changed.

Q. Was your arm okay?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Yeah, I'm very happy with my arm. It's good. I didn't have any pain during the match, so I think this is very positive.

Yeah, I mean, I'm looking forward to play other tournaments and just keep getting better.

Q. We know that in those case, social media are quite extreme with the players. What do you expect on your social media in the hours, and how do you deal with it?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I expect a lot of bad messages, but that's just part of it. I think I'm not just gonna read it and that's it.

Q. That's terrible when you receive all that after those match.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: That's life.

Q. Were you impressed at all by the play of your opponent, or do you think it was for you difficult to gauge how well she played because, as you said, you hit the wall early in the second set?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I don't understand the question.

Q. Were you impressed by the play of Diane?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Oh, I mean, like I was looking at her videos, so I knew what to expect. You know, I think set and a half I was the better player.

But then when I hit the wall and I was there late for the balls, she was just like overplaying me because I was late and I wasn't able to put that much pressure on her anymore.

Yeah, I think, from midway second set she started to better and I started to play worse.

Q. Your elbow, you seemed pleased it's pain-free. Would you say during the time you were off, quite a long time, have you had to think about the potential of doing a surgery or did you always know it was going to be something if you just waited long enough it would be fine?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I didn't know for a long time what to do with for a couple of, like couple of weeks, more than six weeks.

There was option of a surgery, as well, which I denied. I didn't want to do that one. I was just looking for a different option. I was actually lucky that I found a different option, and with the doctors, that they were very nice and they tried to help me the best way they could.

Then we finally found out how to treat it, I thought maybe I will not make it to Roland Garros. So I'm still very happy to be here.

Q. It's usually a very special moment to, you know, come back as defending champion. Obviously it was difficult for you. Was it uncomfortable when the crowd started to boo when you came back from the bathroom break at the end of the second set?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I don't know what happened. I don't know why. But I guess whatever I do is at some point booed, so that's how it is. That's life.

Yeah, I don't know why that happened. I don't know what happened.

Q. Obviously playing a French person, as well, so when you have, if you double fault, they obviously get excited. Is that a difficult thing to deal with?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it's difficult, but then I'm there and I'm kind of, you know, it's not the first time that this is happening to me. But I would say that today with everything that I had to deal with, it was very, very difficult.

Q. What was the part of Diane Parry's game the most difficult to deal with today? What was the part of Diane's game, the most difficult to deal with?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I think -- I mean, she's young. She's playing, she's upcoming, she's doing, I think she's doing good job. And I would say maybe there was like a lot of change of rhythm, which with the way how we were practicing, we weren't practicing that one much, just so I get some kind of rhythm after not playing for so long. So I think maybe that was the most difficult for me today.

Q. I would like to a little bit change this subject and ask about Wimbledon. Could you tell us what do you think about this decision, WTA decision, to no points for Wimbledon.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it's, yeah, it's a WTA decision. I mean, at some point we have some voice, we can say something. But at the end, it's a decision of the tour, and they have to decide. That's how they decided, and we have to get with it.

Q. I feel sorry to see you emotionally taken by this match. Probably you did expect to beat, that could happen, but can you tell us about this one year you have been thinking and dreaming I think about what happened last year and how beautiful that was. I don't think you have to think too much about today, but you can think a lot about what happened last year and what followed up.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Thank you. (Tearing up.)