BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 11, 2022

Viktorija Golubic

Team Switzerland

Emirates Arena

Press Conference

V. GOLUBIC/B. Andreescu

2-6, 6-3, 6-4

Team Switzerland - 1

Team Canada - 0

THE MODERATOR: We will start with questions in English.

Q. Congratulations. Can you describe your emotions right now?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Yeah, I mean, I have had a lot of emotions like during the match, but now I'm just like so super happy that I could bring that point to Switzerland.

I feel really relieved, because, you know, in the end it was kind of a tricky match. It was really close at the end after I have had this lead. So I was actually like really relieved I could do the 6-4.

Q. What were the emotions you experienced during the match? You said you felt lots of different ones.

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Yeah, I mean, I started off like a little bit nervous and, like, a little bit passive. It wasn't that bad, but still, it was bad enough to make an easy set for her.

Obviously like she's the kind of player if you just don't have enough, you know, power and if you don't have enough, like you fight yourself into the game, then she's just gonna walk past you.

I knew that I have to really raise the level. You know, it's kind of the matches, when you play for your country, you also feel responsible not only for yourself but really to bring, to give everything to bring that point home. I just knew that how I played the first set, it's just really not a good performance. So I tried to raise my level, and I'm glad I managed.

Q. It seemed like you had a lot more energy in the second set, and you were having some quite lively conversations with Heinz on the bench. Can you just talk through some of those?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Yes (smiling). I like to, you know, talk a lot during a match. Sometimes I think when I just play for myself, you know, I just start to talk to myself. (Laughter.)

So it's good because I have kind of a lot of temperament, you know, and it just has to kind of go out and I have to deal with all kind of energies. If I just kind of swallow it, I get really kind of passive and nervous. So it's really good for me to keep talking and just get it out. So also, my head kind of feels clearer.

We also have the interesting conversations, you know, like he really helps me in a good way on the bench to play my best tennis.

Q. Can you just talk through the selection process that led to you being picked today ahead of Teichmann? Was that a matchup thing?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Well, I mean, it's always kind of a difficult conversation we are having, because we are having good options in the team, you know. It was kind of clear that obviously Belinda is going to play, you know, because, I mean, she is such a great player and she's so consistent with her game.

And then, you know, we were kind of thinking it would be good if in the group phase both of us can play the singles. But also, it was kind of a spontaneous decision too, because could have been that she plays two singles. It just kind of we just decided like that that maybe she tries to go against Italy, I try to play against Canada. I played once, I played Bianca, it was really close match. Yeah, we thought we give it a try like this.

Q. On your season more generally, how would you reflect on it? Does it feel like you have had this performance today in you for a while?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Yeah, I mean, it was kind of a really up-and-down season for me, because I started off really well. Then I played some big tournaments. I made some big matches. But I really, like I lost some close ones.

Then you lose your rhythm a little bit, and, you know, it goes like kind of fast. For me was kind of a little bit tough to accept that Wimbledon didn't award any points and I lost so many. So it was kind of psychologically not so easy when I knew that decision has been made.

Then I didn't really think too much about it. You know, I just tried to -- my ranking really dropped, but I brought it kind of back up in a good place now. So I can work from there and go further again and move up the rankings.

So I think that was kind of important that in the second half of the season I still was able to do some good performances. But I had a little bit of everything, like really good phases and not-so-good ones. Intense season (smiling).

Q. The medical timeout she took before you served for the match, did that bother you at all?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Well, to be honest, in the first second it bothered me, because I thought, well, it's tricky to choose a situation like this, like it's really kind of psychological.

But then, you know, you're in the heat of the moment. Obviously you have so many thoughts in your head. So for a second, yeah, I was having different thoughts. I just knew that I have to get back on track and focus on what I need to do.

This is what I tried. She played really good two games after this, so I feel like it helped her to calm down a little bit and get, you know, the rest of energy she had. After that, I was just happy to kind of find my game again and my rhythm, yeah.

Q. With your backhand, seemed like you handled the backhand-to-backhand exchanges really well today. Do you feel like these courts, I have heard they are slower, do you feel like that helps you with the one-handed backhand to have a slower court?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: To be honest, on my backhand I can have anything, like I can, you know, it's just a thing of adaptation. We have been preparing well enough here to obviously like to be ready, but I feel like that this court kind of helps for my game, for sure, because sometimes, you know, when it's like really too fast, this is really tough to get some variation in and to change a pace and stuff.

So probably for my game, it's good to have a little bit of time, but most courts are like this, so there is not like an ultra fast court on tour. This is why it's like a pretty regular court.

Q. Just to pick up on that, I love watching your backhand. Have you always had a single-hander when you were younger, as well? There were not many single-handed backhands on the WTA Tour. Do you take pride in the fact that yours is one of the best ones?

VIKTORIJA GOLUBIC: Yeah, I mean, as they are almost -- I mean, there are not so many, so it's kind of probably easier to say that it's a good one, because I'm kind of the only one top or maybe two of us are in top 100.

Yeah, I mean, now I really love it, and also, you know, I can slice better, I can change up the paces. For me, it's so much easier with a one-handed backhand.

But I started actually double-handed forehand and backhand, because Monica Seles was kind of a family idol. So I played like completely different until I was like 12. So I was just playing, taking the balls early and having a good timing and kind of going offensive.

Then we decided, or my coach decided to switch to one-handed forehand/backhand, because he thought I'm really, you know, I want to create something in the game. So he thought it's gonna be better future.

I think he chose right, yeah (smiling).