US OPEN

September 4, 2022

Caroline Garcia

Press Conference

C. GARCIA/A. Riske-Amritraj

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Straight sets. Hour and 20 minutes. On to the next round. Give us an assessment of your performance today.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I'm definitely very happy with this win, and Alison was a tough opponent for me in the past so I'm really glad to get my first win against her and to be in the quarterfinal of US Open is a great feeling.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Just on those match points to close, I think after the first miss you smiled, and then you weren't smiling as much after the next few ones. Talk about your emotions trying to close that out.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, the second set, a lot of games went pretty fast, so I was up 5-1 and a couple of match points, they were very fast, and, yeah, I started to think. Then I got a bit stressed. I went for too much on my serve, and then didn't went for it enough.

Yeah, I was smiling because I know it's not the way, so you try to learn from every single point. It's always a good lesson. I'm glad I got to save a couple of breakpoints and then finish it (smiling).

Q. Judging from your performance in Cincinnati and here so far, you clearly have no problem with the balls that they use.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Well, it's the same since I started to play tennis here in the U.S.

Q. But do they feel especially good for you, or...

CAROLINE GARCIA: Well, I like those balls, definitely, but I can't talk about the other one, because I never played with the men's balls, so I don't know how they are in the racquet, how is the feeling.

They are probably good balls. I mean, they are playing with them so there is probably no issue with that. But the difference I can't tell you because I don't know the other balls.

Q. What are your thoughts on facing Coco Gauff, a player you faced twice before?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Twice? Oh, yeah, maybe.

Yeah, I'm super excited actually to play Coco in U.S., in New York, quarterfinal of slam, it's great. She already have some experience with the final in Roland Garros. She's a tough player, doing really good this year, very consistent, still very young.

But, yeah, it's a great match to play, quarterfinal of a slam is a battle, is a challenge, and I will get myself ready for it.

Q. How about the style of play, the difference between yours and hers?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, she's aggressive but maybe from a little bit farther than I am. Big serve, huge serve, very powerful. Moving great. Very athletic.

Yeah, few difference here and there. She's playing great in doubles, as well. She knows how to volley, knows how to move forward covering the court. It's definitely a great challenge for me.

Q. How do you think you're going to handle the atmosphere? The crowd in there was very crazy just in the match that just finished with Coco. It will be a big crowd again for you. Are you looking forward to it? How do you mentally handle that challenge?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I never played on Ashe a big American player, so definitely going to be the first time.

I mean, as French player, I know that in Roland Garros, the crowd, it can be loud and everything. Obviously I know it's going to be on the other way around. I'm really looking forward to it. It's a great experience.

I will get myself ready. I will have my little team behind me. That's the most important, the people you care about who have been supporting you. I will be hearing voices, and that's the most important.

And it's a great challenge, you know. I'm not going to complain to play Ashe against an American girl in quarterfinal.

Q. You seem to be having so much fun out there. How important is that? Do you feel that's maybe a change that you have had to learn from when you were younger?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, it's definitely, like, an improvement, an evolution about it.

To get wins, definitely helps to be happy, to know which way you have to play, to be healthy, it's a lot of positives to take from.

I see, and with my team we are seeing so many things we can still improve, so it gives us purpose to keep improving, to keep working hard. You know, it's a challenge every day, and it's a reward to be here today, and I'm grateful for all the hard work we did.

You know, I like to play tennis aggressive, to move forward. I'm having fun, enjoying playing that way, and on top of it I'm glad it's working and it's a good way for me.

Q. You had an incredible summer, starting from Wimbledon on. Was there a point in time this summer which you just clicked and said, Something really special could happen?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I will not say something very special can happen. I will say we were probably saying, Good things can happen again.

You know, in Bad Homburg on grass courts was the first tournament I won this year. First round was three sets, I lost first set 6-2, and I was not playing good at all, trust me. At one moment you just say to yourself, You have to go for it. You miss, you miss, but you have to do something. You have to change, you have to find a way to improve.

And I think this tournament was really the week a lot of things change. I was practicing to be aggressive, to move forward, but I had some issue to do it on court in matches, and that's where it change really in the second set of that first round.

I went for it. I didn't know if it was going to work, but I believe and we believe with the team that it was a good way to do so and improve from that point.

From this week, a lot of things went after.

Q. The hashtag #FlyWithCaro, all the hardcore tennis fans know it from a long time. I'm curious here in New York, have you experienced any fans coming up to you and telling you the hashtag or doing the celebration or anything like that?

CAROLINE GARCIA: No, no, no. In U.S. a lot of people are really big fan of tennis so you can get recognized in the city, and a lot of people are coming to see the tennis. There are a lot of fans and they can congratulate you about your good result, wishing you luck and everything. It's super nice. They are always super friendly.

So far no one talked about the hashtag. It's been here for a long time now, so it's not new, but people here are very friendly and very nice.

Q. Very few players have the advantage of playing at a Grand Slam in their own country, so obviously you get crazy atmosphere and people wanting you. Having gone through that at Roland Garros, how much is that also a nervous situation, because there is so much expectation on you?

CAROLINE GARCIA: You're right. There is always two sides of the story. It's always a great feeling to be playing at your home slams. It's a tournament I was dreaming to play when I was a little kid, watching on TV, you know, you were coming back to school and getting your snack in front of the TV, trying not to do your homework too quickly.

It was just a dream when I started to play Roland Garros. As a player, every year I'm super excited to go. Friends are coming, family are coming. It's already a chance.

But there is definitely pressure we go for it. There is people you can see two months before the tournament saying, Are you ready for Roland Garros? You're like, I have like ten tournaments to play before that. It's not the only tournament I'm playing in the year.

People want you to do good there, and you are obviously trying your best, trying to deal with everything, and you want to do good.

Sometimes it's not happening, and you have to deal with the situation of it.

Q. Can you tell me a little bit about how you handle playing, following a five-setter. After the first two sets you know it's going be at least four. What do you do in terms of getting ready and stopping and getting ready, stopping as the match goes on and on?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Well, you try to be patient and just wait quietly. You know it's going to be, it can be tricky, can be like three sets smooth but it's rarely three sets smooth. You have to be ready. You try to have your lunch at a good time, not too much in case it goes fast, and if it goes longer, you try to get another snack.

Just to wait, I was reading a little bit, you have stuff to do before to prepare your racquets, your drinks. Obviously when the things comes to an end, just go back to the gym and fired yourself a little bit.

Q. Are you comfortable with the electronic line call system, or you prefer the human factors?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I like it. I like it. You know, we know it's like this, and there is nothing to say. It's happening. You can watch it if you want, but it's not going to change anything.

At least there is, I mean, there is maybe errors, we don't know, but it's always the same one. It's good. I like it.

Q. You have won 12 matches in a row now, which is the longest streak in your career and it's one more than when you won Wuhan and Beijing back to back five years ago. You were playing so well then and playing so well now. Is there any difference between what you were doing in 2017 to know?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I think there is difference. I'm five years older. No, I think my game is a little bit different. I don't feel the same person that I was five years ago.

Obviously I learned a lot. I got some tough years in there. I got some experience. We have been working hard to come back to the top level. I'm really glad to be at this level again. Really enjoying it.

But, yeah, I think it's always different. There is never two similar tournaments, never two similar matches in tennis. That's what we like about tennis.