THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 27, 2022

Jodie Burrage

Press Conference

L. TSURENKO/J. Burrage

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Tough loss. Can you just talk us through how that went for you today.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, it was a tough one today.

I definitely didn't put my best tennis out there, which is pretty disappointing. But, yeah, Lesia played a great match actually. She hardly gave me anything. Made it real hard for me to put my game on the court.

I'm going to take a lot of learnings from that match. But I really enjoyed my experience today. Yeah, thankful that I got to play in front of such a great crowd.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us about the incident at the start of the second set with the ball boy, what happened, how it affected you.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, he just said he was feeling really faint. He couldn't actually really talk. It was quite distressing to see.

Just tried to get him some sugar, gave him a Gatorade and a gel. The gel is not the nicest thing, so they managed to find some Percy Pigs somewhere along the line in the crowd, which he got down and then started to feel better. Yeah, hopefully he's feeling better now.

To be honest, it didn't affect me too much, I guess. I actually came out, hit a great serve, probably the best serve I hit in that match after that. If anything, it did help me.

But, yeah, I just hope he's okay.

Q. You didn't even think, you just were straight over there to help. You see someone in need, you go and help them.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I just reacted how I think anyone would. Yeah, he was not in a good spot. I just tried to help him out as much as possible.

I've fainted a few times. I actually had a panic attack once in juniors here, so I've been where he is. I kind of know a little bit how he was feeling. So, yeah, just tried to help as much as I could. Hopefully I did.

Q. Did you get a sense that's what it might have been?

JODIE BURRAGE: Panic attack - slash - I think he was just feeling faint. He said, I couldn't see. Obviously like his blood sugar was really low. Yeah, I think he just felt really faint.

Q. That wasn't the only break in play. There was the rain delay. It made the match a bit bitty, broken up. Can you talk on that point, finding your rhythm was difficult because of it?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, the match was definitely a little bit stop-and-start. Although I've had a lot of experiences over the last few weeks playing a lot of matches with delays and people in the crowd fainting actually. Again in Ilklet in the final, I think two people fainted in that one. I couldn't help them, they were up in the crowd.

Yeah, so I think I've got a lot of experience in just dealing with those stoppages. Actually after the rain delay, I came out and played a lot better. Obviously spoke to my coaches. They gave me some pointers. It let me reset. So I actually think it was to my advantage, those delays.

But, yeah, still couldn't put out the level of tennis I wanted to out on the court.

Q. After the last few weeks, irrespective of today, do you feel like you're taking all the positives from the grass courts?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, for sure. I mean, last year I lost four out of four grass court matches. This year I think I've played maybe 15 or 16 matches now on the grass, won a lot more than I've lost. It's been a very positive few weeks for me. Definitely taking a lot of positives, a lot of learnings, as well, from being around these top girls.

Yeah, I will take those positives into my next few tournaments, into US Open qualifying, into that run in the States, and hopefully keep this momentum going.

Q. I wanted to know, you obviously had a good run last week, beat a top-10 player, do you feel maybe a bit more nerves because it's Wimbledon, home slam? Also you had that really good result. Was it mainly the opponent was too good?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I mean, obviously I did really well last week. Beating Badosa was obviously one of the best matches in my career.

I don't think it really had any effect on myself today. Yes, you're always going to be nervous first round of a slam. I dealt with myself better than I did last year. Last year I didn't deal with myself very well.

Again, I'm taking learnings from that, and kind of put last week behind me. Every week is a fresh week. Just because you win a few matches one week doesn't mean you're going to win a few matches the next week.

That's one of the things I've learned over the last few weeks. Like, there's highs and lows in tennis. It literally is high and then low. You want to try to keep level. That's what I'm trying to do, and like I said, take the positives and the learnings from each one.

Q. You mentioned there about dealing with it differently this year compared to last year. When you walked out, you seemed to make a big point to look at the crowd, big smile on your face. Is that part of how you wanted to deal with the occasion better?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, for sure. I think I've been dealing with the occasions the last few weeks pretty well. But, yeah, always going to have a little bit more nerves stepping onto a court at Wimbledon. It's such a big thing to do. I feel very privileged to do it.

Last year I didn't enjoy my experience and was very within myself. This year that's really what I wanted to do, that's why I got a good look at my surroundings, the crowd, yeah, really tried to enjoy what I was doing on the court.

Yes, it wasn't my best performance and I'm disappointed with, yeah, how I played in parts of that match. At least I got to enjoy some of it, as well.

Q. The amount of tennis you got in the last few weeks, do you feel good about your physical fitness levels? Are you fairly knackered now?

JODIE BURRAGE: I am knackered (smiling). My body is hurting me a little bit in various places.

With what I've got through in the last few weeks, I don't think I could have got through last year or even the start of the year.

Yeah, for me physically, this has shown me what I can do, how many matches I can play week in, week out. It's something that I've been working on behind the scenes, over the last few months, especially coming up to this grass court season.

During the clay court time I had a period where I was playing matches but I was training around them, kind of using it like a mini pre-season. To actually get results from that is amazing. It makes me really happy with myself. That is one of the main positives I'm taking from it.

Q. Would Percy Pigs be your choice of sweet?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I definitely love a Percy Pig, that's for sure. I don't know why. Obviously other people like them, as well.

I was just like, This kid needs sugar. He wasn't liking the gel. They're not the nicest things to have. I was like, yeah, definitely need something else. Someone just shouted on the side, Got some sweets here if you want. They were Percy Pigs. Percy Pigs is one of my favorites, I would say. So definitely recommend it if I ever happens again.

Q. You still have doubles.

JODIE BURRAGE: I have doubles with Eden. I think it starts Wednesday/Thursday. Really looking forward to that. Hopefully I can get over the line in that one.

Q. You seemed to be complaining in the first set that the court was really slow. How did that affect you? What were you comparing it to? The practice courts?

JODIE BURRAGE: To be honest, it was just the last few weeks. The court I think is slower than what I've played on. I mean, it's in great condition. But, yeah, with who I was playing, as well, Lesia played very well, made so many balls, so a faster court would have helped me a little bit more to, yeah, get the pace on my shots.

But it was also, I mean, as I came off, my coach was like, You're holding back a little bit, try and swing a little bit harder. So it was me, as well, not just the court (laughter).

But, yeah, I mean, the courts are in great condition though. Like, they're amazing to play on. But, yeah, it was just a tough one.