WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2022

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/V. Azarenka

6-0, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Two great wins against two great champions back to back. How were you able to get it done today?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it was another really difficult match and a tough matchup to play Vika. She's such a great champion, as well, like won all the tournaments, won slams.

I knew I had to be really on my game, and I didn't have much time to turn around. So a big focus was just getting ready for this morning.

Yeah, I'm obviously pleased with how I played today and how I stayed really focused.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Yesterday you said that you wanted to be stingy, and by the second set you'd won like 17 games in a row. How well do you feel you played? Did you feel in the zone? What level did you feel out there?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I thought I was playing good tennis. I wasn't really thinking of the score too much. I was kind of just like collecting points, as many as I could. And it worked.

I knew that I had to be really on it, especially in some moments in the second set. Like, you know, there was definitely some moments where the momentum could have shifted and she could have, you know, really caught back that second set. I'm really pleased with how I stuck through those big games, because I could feel that they were very big games.

Q. I have never won 17 games playing Serena and Azarenka. Could you describe what that feels like to do that in a 24-hour period, for those of us who haven't done that?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, it's always tricky when things are going too well (smiling). When you win like too many games in a row, you feel like something could easily just go wrong. Then, you know, it's even tougher if you're down from that situation.

So I kind of just reminded myself, like, in the second set especially, you know, You're a set and 4-1 up here. The pressure is on her to kind of get back in.

I just really focused on holding serve, especially that last service game, because I think towards the end she was hitting some really big balls and really tough rallies.

Q. Your groundstroke and your serve is looking impressive. You lost six games against two outstanding tennis players. Where did you find that confidence?

EMMA RADUCANU: I think that it's when you are playing two great champions, again, you feel like it's just great to share the court with them and you take whatever lessons, and you just really cherish the opportunity when you are playing such great players.

I knew I had to be on my game, but I kind of also backed myself and my own game. I think that starting the point is obviously really important against both of them, because, yeah, like Vika has got incredible returns and Serena is probably the best serve in the game.

Yeah, I just had to focus on what I could control, and in the points you can't think about who is on the other end of the court. You've just got to play the ball.

Q. You talked on the court again about not wanting to be too high or too low. Was there like a particular I guess moment or conversation or whatever that brought you to that conclusion that that's how you want to conduct yourself?

EMMA RADUCANU: No. I mean, I think I have tried a lot of things, and this year I think some matches, I have lost a lot of matches like from leading situations and probably just played too tense.

I think that I just need to swing, and I just said that these two tournaments or this tournament especially I'm just going to swing freely and take that and see what happens.

Q. What does your match fitness feel like? Do you feel enough prep for that event already or do you still want more?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I don't know. I think for me ever match that I play is a great opportunity to be in that situation. It's more like situational points and how you play certain points that you really want to zone in and make automatic. That comes from playing a lot of matches.

But I think, to be fair, every time I get a match, I'm like, Yes, this is great. I get to play another one. It's more that rather than, Oh, yes, I've won. It's more I get another chance to improve certain areas of my match game.

I think that we will see how this tournament goes and then decide about next week.

Q. You play Pegula next. Tell us what you know about her, given that she's a top-10 player and improved a lot.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, she had a great week last week in Toronto. She's in the top 10. She's playing good tennis, for sure.

It's going to be another difficult match for me, and playing here I think that, you know, the crowd are going to be supporting her, but, you know, I experienced that last night with Serena. I don't think, you know, with Serena it's going to get much more, so I'm prepared for that. I know it's coming. Yeah, I just, again, go play the ball.

Q. What does your phone look like after beating Serena? What sort of messages have you gotten?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, a lot of messages, a lot. But I couldn't reply or go through all of them. Yeah, I always feel a bit bad, but, yeah, I'm trying to just stay really focused, and that definitely helped.

I didn't open many messages last night and this morning, just a few people. I haven't really looked at my phone. An hour later, right before I came in, I needed to call my physio, and I just saw the messages, didn't open. I was, like, I've just got to focus (smiling).

Q. Whenever your tournament ends you'll let yourself soak in that backlog?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah. I mean, normally what happens is it just kind of goes to the bottom and then I forget about the message, but that's never good when that happens.

I think after the tournament I actually have to, you know, take a step back and be like, Look, like, you just beat two unbelievable champions. It's a pretty good achievement. You know how difficult the wins are to come by.

Yeah, I definitely want to soak them in.

Q. Outside of tennis tournaments, do you consider yourself a good or bad texter?

EMMA RADUCANU: I'm an awful texter. I think I'm known for it. To my friends, at least.

But I feel bad, but I just -- like when you get so many messages, it's tough to reply to all of them. Yeah, it's something that's kind of just happened.

Q. Roughly, like give or take, a hundred, thousand, how many messages do you currently have on your phone?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I haven't gone on social media for a while, so I can't really count.

Q. I know the icon shows...

EMMA RADUCANU: Probably like a hundred. No, like -- yeah. I mean, like, 78 on iMessage and then like 80 on WhatsApp or something.