WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 21, 2022

Petra Kvitova

Press Conference

C. GARCIA/P. Kvitova

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Just to begin, maybe not the result that you would have hoped for this week. Could you just tell us what the tournament has meant to you.

PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, definitely not the result I wanted, that's true, but in the end of the day, if somebody will tell me that I will be in the final I would be very happy. I have to take it like this and see the positive things.

I could be out in my actually first match, so, yeah, I know it's hurting right now, but on the other side, I have to see it like overall and be proud on my 40th final of my career.

Yeah, I didn't bring the bigger trophy, but I think she really played very, very well. Caroline just, when she was down, she just served aces. That's how it should be, how the champions are doing it, and I just didn't do it today. Yeah, I think that she deserved to win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. In terms of the difference in the match, you didn't make a lot of unforced errors today, but obviously a little bit tricky on the breakpoints. What do you think was ultimately the difference? Were you not able to go as big as you necessarily wanted to, or was it the clutch points, handful of points?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think that both of us was facing some breakpoints, and somebody did it better and somebody no. That's I think was the key of the whole match in the end of the day. I was fighting to get on the board back. Didn't happen. That's why I lost. But, I mean, it was tough, for sure, of course.

In my first game I was still a bit tight, tired, didn't serve very well, and she was just on the board. Then I had opportunity, but she saved it. I think from that point she got some confidence and she just went for it, which it's her game, so it's not surprising.

I was just waiting patiently if I will get another chance, which I got in the second set, but again, she saved amazing points. Yeah, I missed one of the breakpoints from the rally, but that's, you know, that's how it's happening sometimes (smiling).

Q. Can you discuss the nature of your injury and how much of a role it might have played in the match?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I don't think this is deserved to talk about my injury right now after losing a final, but definitely I will see tomorrow how bad it is. It was just one movement which I felt straight pain and, yeah, that's why I called the physio. Yeah, we will see.

Q. In terms of what you take from this week, obviously there is match play, there is the confidence of the wins that you were able to pull off, things like that, but what do you take forward? Or do you not take things forward anymore, because I know you are into kind of enjoying the thing that is right now.

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I'm very pleased that I didn't have to practice, so definitely having matches, it's much, much better for me than have to have the practices.

The match play of course it's important, and as I think you are teaching new things in the match and having better fitness, because you have to really move and everything, it just over 100%, which I don't think that you can ever get it in practice. So that's I think it's very important, especially before US Open.

The big question right now is with my health, how everything will be in a couple of days, but still having a week before US Open will help me, I hope. Then will be new tournament and everything.

But I have to see probably more positive the things that even I didn't play always the best, I always find a solution to came back, always waited, I was very patient in matches, I played my great game as well, I had some rallies as well. So I think I can find few positive things even in this stage of my career. So I think that's very important and nice, actually.

Q. Just a question about Caroline. Obviously I think that within the locker room when I ask you guys about her, there is a lot of respect of what she can do. But maybe from the outside, because maybe her ranking dropped a little bit, people kind of forgot a little bit about what she can do. She's won the title now, three surfaces like last two months, what is it about her game, if you had to tell people how dangerous she is, what is it about her game that...

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, actually, there was a song, "The Girl is on Fire," right? I was, like, This is the best description of her (smiling).

Yeah, I don't know what happened to her, actually, in the beginning of the season. I was just today hearing her speech, at the beginning was tough, but I really don't know what happened, if she was injured or anything.

You know, one year she was playing so great. She was in top 10. Then she dropped. Then she's back again. Not probably in the ranking but with her game.

I think she is kind of the player who can beat everybody, but also, when she doesn't have the health confidence and, you know, playing the best because she is playing very risky, I know it from my side actually, as well, she can lose as well with some other players, which normally she could beat.

Yeah, it's my own experience. I think that when she is on, she is on. We saw it whole tournament this week. Really, it's tough. I think she even is moving very well. I was passing my backhand crosscourt, and she was always there with the forehand slice.

It was difficult to put winners actually when she's standing by the baseline. Of course sometimes she doesn't have the time, but normally she's pushing it because she's taking from the bounce all of the time. So the opponent didn't have time at all for anything, especially from the rhythm as well.

I think that when she has a great day and playing beautifully, she can win a tournament like here.

Q. After the match, during the trophy presentation, Caroline had a lot of nice things to say about you. I'm curious, what does that mean to you that your competitors think that highly of you?

PETRA KVITOVA: Well, after losing a final, it's nice to hear, for sure, to give you a little bit better energy (smiling). Yeah, I mean, I love it. I'm kind of person who always try to be, you know, polite to everyone, and especially in the locker room.

I know that we are opponents, but we are colleagues, as well. I think that Caroline is very, very similar to me, as well. You know, it was funny today, because when we came to the locker room, it was empty and our lockers were just next to each other. We were, like, This is quite funny (smiling).

Yeah, she is one of the girls when you can talk before a match, and even after, straightaway. So I think this is very nice. Not many of us can do it like this.

It's nice to hear nice words from her. Yeah, it's nice (smiling).

Q. You have played 40 finals now. My question is which one of those is the most special? Obviously you will say Wimbledon maybe. I'm sure players have these matches and finals that we don't think of to you could be special. Is there one like that?

PETRA KVITOVA: Okay. Well, if I'm not counting those big ones, then I don't know (smiling). But I think few weeks, months, this could be the one, because it was coming from nowhere, as I said it.

I do have Eastbourne one when I lost to Marion Bartoli 6-4 in the third before winning my first Wimby.

Yeah, I think I have few, but it's nothing really interesting. Losing in the final, it's just, you still lost. Yeah, that's how it is.