ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2022

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/K. Juvan

7-5, 3-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Another good fight from you today. Can you just talk us through the match a little bit.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I was expecting a match like that. I mean, she's coming with a lot of confidence, playing very well. Maybe I'm not on my best level right now, but at least I fight until the last point, and that's what gave me the match today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Well played. How big is a win like that for the confidence at a Grand Slam?

PAULA BADOSA: A lot. I mean, these kind of matches give you a lot of confidence that I'm already like competitive again, fighting until the last point. That's very important for me, because maybe I was struggling a little bit on that.

Sometimes I don't want to complain or be that emotional on court, but sometimes I need it to give everything and to push myself. Yeah, today I think I was back on that competitive spirit, and I'm very happy about that.

Q. You remind me of the cartoon character the Roadrunner, who moves really quickly all the time at about 100 kilometers an hour. You move more quickly, you play tennis quickly, and you usually win your matches quickly.

PAULA BADOSA: Not today (smiling).

Q. Where do you get your energy from? How do your friends and family keep up with you? Do you ever get a chance just to relax and slow down a little?

PAULA BADOSA: That's a funny question, because my friends or my family all day are saying, Can you please calm down or stay on the sofa for one afternoon. It's impossible for me. I have so much energy. That's what helps me as well on matches. I can't complain.

But yeah, one of my challenges all my life has been that, to stay more calm, and to learn to enjoy, to be on a sofa, to be honest.

But I'm happy to hear that you saw me moving fast and playing fast, because that's how I play and that's how I want to play. So, yeah, I'm happy that you saw it like that (smiling).

Q. There have been a lot of losses by top-10 seeds in the women's tournament so far. It's still early in the tournament. I'm wondering, as those results are happening, how much are you paying attention to that and noticing that? Sometimes in sports when there are upsets in an event, top players might say, Uh-oh, look at what's happening, and maybe it can get in their heads in a good way or bad way. And I'm wondering if that's the case for you at all.

PAULA BADOSA: In this case, I could feel like, Wow, this is good, because they are losing. But in this case, I'm more like, Okay, pay attention, because anything can happen. You saw it today. Today I had to fight a lot to win the match.

I think the level is very high right now and you can lose against anyone. There are surprises but they don't surprise me because I'm on tour so I know what you can find on court. Yeah, there has been a lot of surprises.

And in men's, I have been following as well, yesterday so many tough matches, seeded, having match points, but I think in their case having the five-set matches helped them, because you have a lot time and you have time to recover.

In our case, it's a little bit different on that side because it's like normal. Yeah, the surprises are coming and coming, and it's going to be always like that, because the level has raised a lot.

Q. I just wanted to ask you about the coaching warning that you got. You didn't seem too happy about that.

PAULA BADOSA: No. Normally, as you see, I'm very emotional, so I talk a lot. But in that moment, I wasn't looking at my team, so I didn't understand. I know the first set she said, You cannot have interaction. I said, Yes, I know. I'm in a Grand Slam. But after that, I was like paying attention on that because that's important, and I didn't want a coaching.

So, yeah, that's something I'm going to talk now after with supervisors because I wasn't happy with that decision.

Q. You have said that you place big expectations on yourself, and in the past you have been a little negative at times. So you made a positive decision to think more positively. So what is the balance between having those expectations but also being kind to yourself as well?

PAULA BADOSA: I think the key there is what you just said, to be very kind on myself. I have been struggling being the opposite, so what I'm trying to improve is to be kind to myself and always send these positive messages no matter what. It's something I'm really working on and that I did very well the first round.

Today I think I had very tough moments, and even though that I was maybe a little bit stressed, I was sending positive messages to myself. So I'm really happy about that, that I'm improving on that aspect.

For me, that's more important than a win.

Q. I saw you playing football a few months ago with Aryna Sabalenka. You have good football skills.

PAULA BADOSA: No.

Q. It's the Champions League final on Saturday, Liverpool versus Real Madrid. I will be supporting Liverpool. Will you be supporting Liverpool too?

PAULA BADOSA: No, I will support the Spanish team. (Laughter.) As a good Spanish I will support Real Madrid.

I went to the semifinals and I really enjoyed the football match, but I'm not a football fan, to be honest. But I really enjoyed the sport, and, yeah, and I hope to have a good match there. I just enjoy the sport there, and I don't really care. I want the best one to win, but to be honest, I will go with the Spanish team (smiling).