ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2022

Amanda Anisimova

Press Conference

A. ANISIMOVA/K. Muchova

6-7, 6-2, 3-0 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: So unfortunate circumstances today for your opponent, but plenty of positives for you, including your serve. What was your assessment of today's match?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I feel very sorry for Karolina. It's very tough ending a match that way. So I just hope that she gets the rest she needs and feels better. So, yeah, it's not ideal to finish the match like that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. You're playing generally better this year than last year and you were talking some month ago that you had mental issues as well. So I'm asking, are you working with a mental coach, how have you some methods developed to address issues on the court and off the court? I noticed today you made some crucial errors in the first set, but on the next point you immediately came back and won a fantastic point as nothing had happened before.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think that all players can make easy mistakes when they're stressed. Yeah, it wasn't a great first set for me, I was making some mistakes that I normally wouldn't make. But I'm just happy with the way I was able to handle it, like in the second set, and just bounce back.

So, yeah, I just reset and I, I don't know, started playing a bit better, so that's something that I worked on and, yeah, like last year was difficult for me, but I've turned things around. I'm enjoying playing tennis more now so, yeah, just my outlook is different.

Q. What have you done, and I say this because Americans don't have a great history on this surface and at this tournament, what have you done both long ago and more recently to make yourself as comfortable as possible on red clay?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I think my game has always been pretty good when it comes to clay. Like when I played juniors there were a lot of tournaments in South America and I've always done well at those, I've won a lot of titles there.

So, yeah, I think that maybe helped me like in the juniors playing a lot of those red clay tournaments.

I don't know, it just fits my game style well and I just enjoy playing on it because it gives me more time and, yeah, it's just fun for me. Hard court sometimes can be a bit too quick.

Q. I saw you doing some stuff on TikTok during the pandemic talking about, I'm not really an expert, obviously, about anxiety and panic attacks. We were just here hearing Simona Halep saying she was okay, but said she had a panic attack on the court during a match I think actually she said it happened when she was feeling really comfortable.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Wait, who?

Q. Simona Halep.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Oh.

Q. Sorry, I appreciate you probably have other things on your mind. I just wonder whether that's ever happened to you during a match, kind of how scary it can be, and it was scary to watch and I can imagine even more scary for Simona in that situation.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: You mean a few years ago or?

Q. No, literally yesterday.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Oh, okay. Yeah, I don't know with other players what they experience, but I feel like for me like when I'm rushing and I'm worrying more and overall I think that what I worked on is just to slow down when I'm aware that it's happening and just try to take my time and just breathe.

And, yeah, I think the awareness part is the biggest key to those situations.

Q. If it's not too prying, and please tell me if it is, the first time it happened, was it a complete shock to you and you didn't know what was happening or did you quite quickly recognize what was happening?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I wouldn't say it's like such a big thing, like because tennis matches, they're always stressful, I think, the whole match. So it's not like something you feel like very different, yeah, because you're most likely nervous the entire match, so just trying to be aware of it, that tennis can be difficult because you're the only one there playing, so, yeah, just try and regroup.

And I think with experience over the years you learn more and as you play on the big stadiums it's just comes with experience and, yeah, just learning all the lessons you can.

Q. I wanted to ask you, you said about having fun on the court of playing tennis, what do you mean by having fun and when is it not fun?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: I think this whole year I've just, I don't know, it's just different for me this year playing, I just really enjoy like the fight and being out there and just every single point. Last year I don't think tennis was my first priority. I think that I was just struggling too much off court and I couldn't really enjoy the game. And, yeah, it was different, so, yeah, I'm just happy with how this year has been going and finding my game again and just be out there playing and having fun.

Q. Today when I think towards the end of the first set you looked at your box and said that, I can't hear you. I was just wondering how important it is to hear the voices that you know, never mind even the whole stadium is cheering you, how important is it for you to hear your people, the voices you are most comfortable with?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, I think that everyone was a bit loud today, especially in the first set and I felt like it was more against me and so I was asking my box to be louder because they were just, like, say it loud enough just for me to hear. So, I don't know, it's because of me though because I feel like I'm nervous and I try to like distract myself by saying those things, but, yeah, it's just something small, but hopefully my team can be louder for me in the next match.

Q. I was watching you warm up before your first round, also on Lenglen and you were pretty nervous and cursing a lot and just sort of, that I'm just wondering how much that winning that first match against Naomi sort of eased your mind for you at this tournament, if you've been able to be at all more zen or maybe, I didn't see today's warmup, maybe there was still a lot of cursing and stuff, I don't know.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: No, it's not an every day thing for me, for sure. But, yeah, that warmup was a bit tough. Sometimes warmups make me a little bit more stressful, especially for the first round like with Naomi. So, yeah, I was just like trying to play well and I think I was just too hard on myself that day and I was just trying to be perfect that warmup and maybe that's why I was getting so anxious.

But, yeah, I mean for sure the couple days prior to that I was a bit nervous to play that first round, but as the tournament has gone by, like every single day I had a day in between to kind of rest and recoup, so, yeah, that helps me, so, yeah, tomorrow just rest and get ready for the next one and having a couple wins under my belt definitely helps.

Q. Did you learn your cursing from anyone in particular, because you're pretty good at it. You're very colorful with it. It's just very different from these sort of interactions from you. But various things I heard you say, you just have a flare for it.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: There's only like one word I always say and we're not going to say it here (laughing) but, I don't know, yeah, I can be pretty vulgar sometimes. It's not so good when I'm angry.

Q. My daughter says it's just words, what's the problem so, anyway, you got good company. Does the sliding come naturally to you?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Would you say it's good?

Q. Your sliding?

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah.

Q. I haven't watched it enough, honestly, so I'm curious as to how it feels for you. Doesn't sound like it feels great for you.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: No, I think that the sliding comes pretty natural to me, especially after a couple months of playing on the clay. Like the first couple of weeks after a hard court when you start to practice it's a bit off, but the more that I train and play matches on it, it comes like pretty natural to me and I'm able to do it well. So, yeah, this week I think that my movement has been pretty good.

Q. Thoughts on your next opponent, either going to be Fernandez or Bencic. Just if you could talk about what the challenge for each of them would be.

AMANDA ANISIMOVA: Yeah, well whoever I play, they're both very different game styles, so we'll see. Both are very tricky and tough to play on clay and they're just amazing players, so, yeah, it will be difficult, but I'm up for -- Fernandez won? Yeah, okay, I played her this year so I know her game a bit more, but, yeah, we'll see. I haven't played a lefty yet this week so far so I'm just ready for the challenge and I'm excited for it.