GUADALAJARA OPEN

October 23, 2022

Storm Sanders

Luisa Stefani

Press Conference

SANDERS-STEFANI/Danilina-Haddad Maia

7-6, 6-7, 10-8

THE MODERATOR: Your first 1000 title together. How are you feeling?

STORM SANDERS: Yeah, I think we both feel great. It was a busy day. We had two matches. We played really well all week. We actual played our first tournament together last week in San Diego. We had a tough second round. I'm just really proud of the way we regrouped.

This week we played really well, played some tough competitors. I'm proud the way we found a way to be super positive and play our game.

I had so much fun with Lu. It's awesome. Super proud of her. She's been injured for a long time. This is her fourth tournament back. She's back like she never left. I love of that for Lu. We had a lot of fun this week.

LUISA STEFANI: So excited to get this title. I think mainly to progress and improve from last week. I'm so happy she gave me a chance, an opportunity. I ended up having a blast both on and off the court. She has great positive energy on court. I feel like we always had a chance.

This week has been tough. I think we had some tough matches. It's been a long time since I've had such emotions. The adrenaline playing super tiebreaker... She kept me cool, especially today. It was so much fun. I feel like that's the best part of tennis, when you get the tension.

Yeah, thank you so much for playing. I kept thanking her because I haven't had this much fun I won't say in a long time but since I've played. It's fun and rewarding to get this title for her, too. She's got one more tournament, then a wedding coming up, getting married. It's an exciting year.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think was the key for the win?

LUISA STEFANI: Staying with it really. There was a lot of ups and downs. We had a chance. I served for the match 5-3. Like I said, a lot of tension. I haven't had this feeling in a long time.

To serve a match out, it was good to be in that position. We ended up losing the set and had to regroup. We knew we had a chance every game whether returning or serving, whether we played well or made some bad mistakes. I think we stayed with it. I think our communication...

I would give this one to Storm's energy really. She kind of kept is going, called it for herself. It was really cool to see.

STORM SANDERS: Energy was the big thing. In doubles it can change quickly. We're up serving for the match, within two minutes we kind of lost the momentum.

I'm really proud of the way we regrouped. They're two really good competitors. They had some amazing wins this week. Obviously coming in with a lot of confidence and play well together.

It's an awesome victory for us. I'm just really proud of the way even in the super tiebreak we were down the whole way, we just stuck with it, like Lu said, stuck to what we do well. Played with good energy, we were able to get through today.

Q. What do you think about this week in Guadalajara with the culture, the hat and the trophy?

LUISA STEFANI: I didn't get to see much of the city. I could feel the energy from the people in the crowd, even here on-site. The food is amazing. I love Mexican food.

But I think the biggest thing is definitely the people love watching, get into the matches, not only in the finals, but every other match we had a lot of support.

So exciting to play in front of a crowd. They have night matches, a lot going on at the tournament. It's been an amazing week. Even welcomed us so well. I love coming back to Mexico. Not my first time. First time in Guadalajara, but I love coming back to Mexico.

STORM SANDERS: It's been so much fun. Had such a great week here. Eaten a lot of tacos and guac and chips. The Mariachis have been at the dinners. Trying to explore some of the restaurants. Found some good coffee. Such a fun week.

I've really enjoyed it. Gustavo, all the tournament staff, sponsors, have done an amazing job to make us feel super comfortable, feel at home.

Like Lu said, the support has been amazing. We've had fans to come out and watch practice, our matches on the outside courts. A lot of kids around, which is awesome. So fun to play here.

Q. Once they got the break in the second set, felt like they really surged ahead with the momentum. Your first lead in the tiebreak was the match point. From that point to that point, how did you wrench it back?

STORM SANDERS: Like I said from when Lu got broken, we got broken at 5-3, it definitely felt like all of a sudden they had all the momentum. To their credit they actually played really well from that moment and brought a lot of energy, made it really uncomfortable for us.

I felt like even in the tiebreak we kept talking to each other super positively. They're going to feel it, it's a huge title, they're going to get tight. At the same time we just said to have fun. It's so cool to be in a final. It doesn't happen every single week.

We kind of didn't think about winning or losing, just kind of let's have fun with it. 10-point tiebreak, anyone can win in a tiebreak, so maybe just have fun. We had a few C'mons.

The tiebreak was such good quality from both ends. Even if we lost it, it would have been disappointing, but it was fun, amazing to be out there.

LUISA STEFANI: I agree. I think the tiebreaker was the best part of the match. I think everybody could feel a little bit of tension.

I give credit to Storm from the second set because clearly I got tight. It's fine. It happens. It's good to feel that way and come through in the end of the match. In the tiebreaker we knew what we had to do. It was a matter of actually doing it and going for it. I think we communicated well, the energy, like she said.

That's what it comes down to. It could have gone either way. I'm so glad we were able to pull through and get the win forehand.

Q. It was Brazil versus Brazil in the final. What does it mean to have that?

LUISA STEFANI: Amazing. I'm not sure when was the last time that happened. So special. Bea a has been doing incredible things. I can tell you. I've been back home for rehab, and I know how much it's shaking things up for women's tennis. A lot of kids looking up. There's a lot of girls now maybe dreaming about tennis because of her, too, watching her on the big stages. She's taking Brazilian tennis to a whole new level. We haven't seen that consistency from a top player in singles for a long time.

It's so nice to see. She's a great friend, too. It's emotional to see her go through so much stuff and also have so much success. To play here in the finals, I think a couple days ago I was like it would be really cool to play them in the finals. It means they made finals, that means they would have qualified, and two I've never played Bea a before. It's really cool for Brazil because unless you have a favorite, whoever wins, it's Brazil.

Q. Storm, you started the season with a title with Ash. You'll figure the regular WTA season with a title. How does that feel?

STORM SANDERS: It feels incredible. I've been trying to focus a little bit on doubles and singles. It's hard to do both.

To finish with a title, my biggest title on the WTA Tour, it's incredible. To do it with Lu who is such an awesome person on and off the court, it's just been so much fun.

Yeah, it's great to finish on a high. Now I have Billie Jean King Cup. That's a great honor to represent your country. I always love representing Australia. I have really good, amazing experiences there last year. I played the number one singles which I never thought would ever happen in my life, and I won that match, which is crazy.

Excited to go on and play a team event, represent Australia. It's been a really fun week.