US OPEN

August 29, 2022

Caroline Garcia

Press Conference

C. GARCIA/K. Rakhimova

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Can you just talk us through the match, if you would, on your victory.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I'm very happy to have started the tournament. I was really excited and looking forward to be back on court. Competition is the thing I like the most.

Last week I have been busy but I'm really happy with the first-round win, and to be able to figure out something. It was not perfect match but it was a good one. Now I can go back to practice and improve on my second round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. In terms of the conditions of the court, how quickly, slowly is it playing compared to Cincinnati?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I would say it's pretty much the same, I think. I practiced a lot on the P court, and today we practiced on 17.

I think it's quite similar so far. Maybe the bigger courts are a little bit slower, like used to be every year. But today was shocking. It's like it's hot and humid out there, and we were sweating like hell. I mean, we all know US Open can be very tricky with conditions, but today was a good first test.

Yeah, made it through and it's very important.

Q. Obviously you've had some great success recently. Do you feel like this is a tournament that you come in here and you believe you can win?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, of course the last couple of weeks and months have been successful for me on court, and I'm confident. I know my game is here. I know which way I have to play and which way is working for me.

We are trying with the team to keep practicing and keep working on this game and taking one match at a time like we did in the past.

We will see where it can brings me. Obviously to win a slam, it's one of my goals since I started on the tour, and always working every day on it to see if I can reach it, and when can I reach it. But it's a tough goal, but it's a motivating one.

Q. Obviously great form. How difficult was the transition mentally after doing so well and then repeating that at the Grand Slam in terms of form and actually playing in the Grand Slam?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, obviously the last week was pretty intense. We tried to manage it the best way we can, enjoy the win, because winning a 1000 event, it was a long time ago. So really tried to enjoy a couple of weeks, try to manage the external, the media, the best way we can, trying to learn from the past as well, and then focus on the past while recovering physically as well.

Practice have been good, not great but good. And I was actually excited to start the competition and just focus on the game, on the points, that's what I like the most.

Yeah, one day at a time, and happy with the win of today. Tomorrow is a new day of practice.

Q. Have you ever come into a slam feeling this confident?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I played a lot of slams now. I don't remember all the past weeks before slams. I did good couple times in Madrid before French Open, so I guess I was confident when I arrived (smiling).

Yeah, so far in slam, I definitely think I can improve my best results. It's not where I have played my best, but it's a new challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it. I want to improve in those results. Obviously the win of Cincinnati was a lot of positive energy.

Q. What goes through your mind when you hear some people say that you might be a candidate to win this tournament, that it's wide open, that 20 different women could win it, and they select you?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, it's pretty funny because I don't think a couple weeks ago, couple months ago, they were not thinking about me at all (smiling).

I mean, things can change very quickly, and obviously the result of last week change a lot of people's mind. You do good one week and you are the next champ. It's a sport, it's tennis. It's also why we like it.

Yeah, I mean, it's good. It means I'm playing good tennis, and that's what I want to do. I want to play aggressive, I want to try to win the most matches I can.

But I'm always trying to play my best and see where it brings me. I just focus one match at a time.

Q. For the fans who are not yet familiar with your game, how would you describe the way you play and what the keys to your success are?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I'm not too sure I'm the right person to ask, but I try to play aggressive, to use a lot of my serve, my forehand, put the pressure on the return as soon as I can, try to be inside the court.

Now more and more I like to go to the net and take the ball early, and that's pretty much what I do.

Q. You have obviously had success at the 1000s, and they are incredibly difficult tournaments to win. You have gotten big results, tough draws. What's the difference then to playing a 1000 versus slam? What is the difficulty deporting that type of level that, type of focus to a two-week tournament?

CAROLINE GARCIA: This is one, for example. The press conference of today is longer than the ones in Cincinnati, definitely (smiling).

So, yeah, there is more fans, there is more people around, even in the players' area. You have to try to manage your focus when you are on court. US Open it's tough, because it's pretty far away, as well. So it's more managing the external expectation, managing external things.

You have your team to help you with that, and it's really a team effort. Then it's very focused on the present. You have one match. Then you have one day to practice so you can relax a little bit. But you have to be able to put things on again.

So it's longer. So I think it's all managing timing things, and depends from one person to another. You cannot all deal with the same. Yeah, we are trying our best to deal with it, managing the best way we can, for me to be able to play my best tennis every two days then.

Q. You mentioned playing aggressively. Do you feel like that style has given you a lot more fun and enjoyment on the court?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, definitely. Definitely the game styles that I like to play, that's how I feel the most confidence. Yeah, I have the more control on my game style. Doing winners, going to the net, it's definitely what I enjoy in tennis and what I enjoy also, how I enjoy watching people play it, and that's what I like.