WTA FINALS

October 29, 2022

Caroline Garcia

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Talk about your season and being here.

CAROLINE GARCIA: It's a really big tournament and really proud of the work I did and we did with the team. It's a good achievement.

Q. Just on last night, what was your experience? You've obviously gone through a whole draw ceremony gala before, but what was this one like for you, and what was the energy amongst all you guys getting ready for stuff?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, it was nice. You know, it's a big part of the process of the Finals. Yeah, when you start to know who you are going to play...

Well, you know you are going to be playing the best of the year, but who exactly is a big challenge.

Yeah, the ceremony was nice. I got cold a little bit, but it was nice. It was in a very historical part of Fort Worth, so it was nice to discover that as well. Yeah, pretty happy about it.

Q. Does it feel like five years since you were last at the WTA Finals?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Kind of, yes (laughing). It feels like it's been a long time. Many things happened positive, less positive, tough experience, injury. And it was a long process.

I would have preferred to come back a little bit earlier, but I'm already glad I'm coming back and I get to live this experience again. It's a gift after a very tough and very good season, and really proud of the work.

Yes, Singapore was a long time ago. I qualified, like, last-minute and very unexpected. I'm not going to say this one was expected (laughing). It's kind of the same situation.

Yeah, I like it, and I want to enjoy it the most that I can.

Q. What has the preparation been like in the last couple of weeks after having an explosive summer to come down and come back up for a big tournament?

CAROLINE GARCIA: After New York, a lot of things happened. Obviously, I was in the Race for the WTA Final. I was, like, yes, it would be nice to make it, you know? The ranking was so close that I was a little bit stressed about it and put too much pressure on myself.

I'm glad I made it at the end because I was not doing great things at this time. But it's a process. It's an experience.

The summer for me was really busy playing a lot of tournament, a lot of matches with big travel between that. It was not easy. I felt really tired. The last couple of days we've been able to rest and prepare more easily for the tournament.

Q. You are one of the few that won with Iga Swiatek this year. You will play here in the group against her. What do you think? And do you have a tactic to win again with Iga?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, she's a challenge. WTA Finals is a challenge, but she's a challenge just by herself. She lost very few matches. I won against her in Poland, but it was very different condition, clay court. She was playing in Poland, and it was probably her first time.

It's a whole different match for sure. It's group stage as well. I will try to play my game, be aggressive. That's my way of playing, and that's probably the best chance I have to beat her.

Q. What does it mean to you to be a part of the last eight here? Why is that, if it is, significant to you? Well, we'll start with that.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, it means a lot because it's the top eight players of the year. Eight is a very small amount of players because on Slams we all probably are counting with qualifier, like, 250. So it means a lot. It means you have been either, like, very consistent through the year or playing well in the big tournaments.

A season of tennis is very long. It goes from January to the beginning of November. It's probably one of the longest seasons in sports, and you have be to consistent. You are traveling a lot. You have different conditions to deal with. You have to manage all the year long to be at your best the most often you can.

It's just a challenge. To be here with the format of it, you know you are going to play at least three matches against between No. 1 and between No. 8. It's something that's happening very rarely. Even in Slams you are not sure you are going to play those kind of players at the end of the tournament. So it's probably one of the -- it's probably the strongest tournament of the year.

Q. Half of the field this year is new to this, never been.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Not me (laughing).

Q. What, if anything, do you think that says about the state of tennis, and is it a good thing maybe, or maybe not, to have new faces participating in an event like this that is reserved for the best players?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, we know in sports that, same as in life that, you know, life goes on. There are some people leaving tennis. There are some new ones coming. Like Coco, four, five years already, she's on the 18.

I think it's good. They were the best players of the year, so they deserve their place. First time is always a great experience.

Yeah, when I did it, I mean, no one was there. So it was kind of weird. I feel very old right now (laughing).

No, I think the last season we could see that a lot of new players was coming. Iga is very young as well, but she's now well in place at the first spot. Ons is doing better and better every year and very consistent. She was almost in the top 8. She was probably 9, I think, last year. I think she was pretty close to do it.

I mean, Jess Pegula now for a couple of years, she's one of the most solid in slams. Everyone has their own story, but I think it's pretty consistent. It's not surprise for me to see any of the seven right now.

Q. Along with Iga this year, you've gotten to play many of the other players in the draw here, so how do you think that will help you heading into this tournament?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, I don't think I've played them that many times. Maybe I've played once each or something like that. Not so much experience.

But it's obviously better that you play a player that you know you have never played before. We all know each other. We either train together once or played a match against each other.

So it's obviously a good experience. Good to know a little bit more what you can expect, but every match in tennis is very different. The conditions are different. Indoor we are not playing that often.

It's going to be a new match for sure, and we will give even more than before.

Q. Just speaking on Coco, what do you make of her at 18 years old handling what she's handled? You've also, obviously, been a teenager with a lot of attention heaped on you from a country that loves its tennis, but what do you make of her? And, obviously, you guys will play first in your opening matches. So what do you think of that matchup as well?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, she's a very impressive player and also a woman. Very impressive. She came on too very young, and she was already so mature trying to dealing with the situation very well, doing everything, playing her tennis, singles, doubles. I don't know how they are doing it with Jessica. It is unreal.

Yeah, she's very impressive and proving that she can improve so much, she can keep improving so much to all of us. Yes, it doesn't look like she's 18 for sure. I wish I was like this when I was 18. But I think she's great for tennis, and women's tennis, for sure.

Q. Just with the report from L'Equipe with respect to Bertrand, what the situation is there, just wondering what your comments are if you could speak on what the situation is coaching-wise?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I just would like to thank Bertrand and all the hard work we did this year. It was a great investment personally and professionally. We started far away and we came to the top of it at the end of the season.

I decided to leave the team after Mexico, and I respected the decision. And now I have to be focused on the present, on the action, my best preparation I can have to play this tournament. It's a big one. So I have to keep my mind clear and just be focused on the moment.

Q. Just to clarify on that, it was his decision to leave?

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yes.

Q. Do you have a new coach that's working with you here?

CAROLINE GARCIA: So after this decision, we decided to call someone who helped me last year. His name is Juan Pablo Guzman, and he helped me during the second part of the year, so he did know me already.

He came to help me with organization, to give me a few tips, to help me with preparation for the match because I needed someone. And as he knows me, it's easier to get in the team.

Q. Unrelated question. Iga has said she's not going to play in the Billie Jean King Cup because it's right after this tournament. Just wondering, do you think that she's right that there should have been more space between the events, and do you understand why she's doing that?

CAROLINE GARCIA: That's a tricky question (laughing). That's a tricky question.

Obviously, well, in my position we are playing the tie, so we are playing only on Friday and Saturday. So, obviously, the timing is short, but I have some times to go.

I don't know the Billie Jean King, like, regular one, World Group, when is it starting. But if it's starting Monday or Tuesday, obviously, for coming from U.S., it's not safe for a players to travel and play on the Tuesday.

Like I say, I don't know everything. I don't know when is the date for the World Group, but the last couple of weeks without the Asian swing, it's tough. It's a lot of travel.

When you are traveling to a place and when you want to play tennis, you want to be healthy first because that's the way you think you can help the most your team. So maybe she thought it was not possible for her. I don't know everything.