WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2022

Caroline Garcia

Press Conference

C. GARCIA/J. Pegula

6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congratulations on another great win. Can you just talk about facing Jess tonight? What do you think you executed particularly well? How does it feel to make this stage of a WTA 1000 again?

CAROLINE GARCIA: That's a lot of questions (smiling).

Yeah, feels great. It was a really good match on my side, very solid, very aggressive really in the beginning until the end. I mean, we know Jess is a tough fighter, very solid player, play very flat, never let go. She have very strong year so far.

I had to play my best and try to be as aggressive as I can, play early. Some rallies were very, very fast, got to be ready, but I think I did very well. Served definitely up to get free points. It's always very nice to get free points. It put me in confident to put more pressure on the return game, and it paid off at the end.

Q. You, I believe, have only been broken three times in the main draw. Talking about your serve and how efficient it was getting you the free points, what do you think has been the key here this week in Cincinnati in terms of how effective it has been?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, it's pretty fast court, so it definitely adds good serves. I had some issues sometimes in the quallies. Against Maria Sakkari it was not a lot of first serve in, but managed to get through it.

It's a good weapon of my game. It's some part of the game that give me confidence to put the pressure on the other one.

I serve well in the last couple of months, especially on grass. There was some good service game. We worked a lot on it, because we know it's part of the game.

Yeah, I just try to relax and go for it. I'm chasing the best aces in the year so far, so... (smiling).

Q. Obviously making the semifinals is a huge accomplishment for any player. Is it an even bigger accomplishment for you after coming out of the qualifying?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, trust me, quallies are not easy. First-round quallies I play another French woman, and it's always a tricky round. I was coming from Toronto playing Alize, and now I had to play against a young one. It's never easy.

It's a lot of matches in tough condition. I had to play a lot of matches back to back. It's good for me, because it give me confidence that the hard work we are doing on court and off court is paying off, because I managed to go on court every time as easily as I can and with good feeling on my legs.

So it's very positive for my team and for myself, because 1000 events are a lot of matches against a lot of tough player in a very small time, small week. So it's, yeah, it's a good accomplishment and it can give as confidence for the rest of the year.

Q. There is a pretty strong argument to be made that you are the hottest player on tour at the moment, given how many matches you have won since the start of June. I'm curious how things are feeling to be you right now in terms of the confidence that you are playing with the wins that you are getting, two top-10 wins this week already? Yeah, how does it feel right now? Is it comparable to any other segment of your career?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, it's always a mixed feeling, I will say, because when you do bad, people forget about yourself pretty fast and forget about what you did in the past.

As soon as you can get a couple of wins in a row under your belt and playing better tennis, it's like you are a top star again, you know. Like you go from a loser to maybe one of the best player right now.

So it's a lot happening in behind the scene, we will say. We know where I come from from the beginning of the year with the team, with the most important person right now in my career, and that's the most important. I have to keep in mind what is paying off for me, what we are doing, how I'm playing and what is the mindset behind it.

Obviously I guess the experience from the past is going to help me to manage and to make the good decision and keep the good mindset to keep it going.

Q. I had a question about your technique. It's perfect, if you ask me. I was just wondering...

CAROLINE GARCIA: It's French technique (laughter).

Q. That was the question. Is that something that came naturally to you, that you shape it into what it is now? How did it come to be? What it is?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I don't know, if you ask me. You know, like that's the way I learn tennis. Like I had a coach when I was young who was really focusing on the technique to make it as pure as it could be. Obviously when you are young, it's a lot of repetition to make it happen.

Then you follow this pathway. Obviously as simple and as pure your technique is, you can try to take the ball earlier, try to adapt better. So it's definitely a good argument I have in my game.

Under stress, it's better control. That's what I always heard, to keep it simple. Yeah, it's good. I don't know how it came, but it's the way I learn how to play tennis and I'm glad (smiling).

Q. Just looking ahead then playing Aryna next. It's four incredibly aggressive, powerful players in the semifinals. The speed of the court seems to be setting that up. How is that matchup for you? Have you played before?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, we played before, but quite long time ago now. Yeah, she's a very aggressive player. We have kind of the same weapon in our game.

Yeah, I mean, she's in the top 10 for quite a while now, always doing good in the big events. You can always count on her. Doesn't matter how many double faults she's doing in one game, she is still here, still winning matches, not afraid to go for it.

So it's going to be a great challenge for me. I'm really looking for it. It's a good challenge to play another aggressive player to see who can be the most aggressive and do the best they can.

Q. Do you feel like you're playing top-10 tennis right now?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I don't know. You tell me. I don't really care. I'm really glad to be seeded for US Open just to practice on the good courts (smiling).

Q. We talked about the streak, the 23. Is that added pressure for you? Do you think about that?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Sorry, I didn't understand.

Q. The most wins since June.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Okay, yeah.

No, I mean, I saw something about it yesterday, but I didn't really think about it. It's obviously a lot of matches since I come back in Roland Garros from my injury, and we went for it.

We decided to play a few tournaments in a row to have more matches, because it's where you can improve the most. It's where you get rhythm. It's where you get confidence. Practice is practice. Matches is always another story. You have to adapt.

We decided to go that way. It's obviously paying off. It's some great matches; sometimes not as great. It makes you learn. It made me more confident in which way I have to play.