BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 12, 2022

Harriet Dart

Emirates Arena

Team Great Britain

Press Conference

H. DART/A. Tomljanovic

7-6, 6-2

Team Australia - 1

Team Great Britain - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congrats, Harriet. Do you feel like you're in the form of your life right now?

HARRIET DART: I mean, Fed Cup just brings the best out of me. I love playing in front of a home crowd, and I feel like I have really been feeding off my teammates and everyone here. It just makes me really want to do really well.

Q. I just wondered, having played maybe three fairly similar players, did that help, do you think?

HARRIET DART: Yeah, I mean, you have always got to execute your plan. I think, you know, the first day I didn't even think I played that badly against Rybakina. I just think she came out swinging and was hitting a lot of lines.

Yeah, I mean, does it help? Every match you approach, you try and approach the same, but they all do different things well. They are all great players. I knew that coming in that it was going to be a very challenging task. I'm just really pleased with how I was able to close out the match today.

Q. You had sort of an emotional hug with your mum after. Is it right she's been flying up and down several times this week? How important is it to have her here supporting you? I guess she's helped you through the ups and downs over the years?

HARRIET DART: Yeah, depending on the result today or tomorrow or Monday, she will have done a total of six journeys on the plane, so at least she's accumulating the points, right?

Yeah, I mean, look, I'm so fortunate that my parents and my sister are here, really supportive. You know, they don't get to see me play very often, so that's also really nice to have them there.

But at the end of the day, I'm the one out there on the court, and I just have to focus, be in my own zone, and I feel like I really took it to Ajla today. I felt like I really executed my game plan really well.

Q. Obviously you were up a break in the first set and then she broke you back. How did you stay so mentally strong? The points were so long. It was a tough battle out there. How did you stay so mentally strong?

HARRIET DART: It was an incredibly physical match. I knew that going in, and I also know that I can be out there for five hours and feel fine. It was more about keeping my head. And, you know, at 5-2 I did take my foot off the gas a little bit, and you know you can't do that against players like her. You know that she's going to come back strong, and she did. You know, I just played a better tiebreak than her.

Q. What are you most happy about in terms of your development and how you have changed as a player this year?

HARRIET DART: I think my level has always been there. It's just about putting it together at the right moments. Also the consistency of, you know, you can play -- everyone can play a good match, right, but it's about week in, week out, being able to back it up.

Also physically it's incredibly tough. I mean, all these matches, you don't really see many short rallies. You know, there is incredible strength and depth across women's tennis. You know, every single match you have to be ready. Everyone is playing a great level, and I think that for me has been a really big stepping point in terms of the consistency of holding the level but also physically being in a really good place to be able to, the next day, not feel the body or anything but be able to keep going, keep going, keep going.

Q. Am I wise in saying you're no longer working with Nigel? If so, are you working with anyone specifically since then?

HARRIET DART: Yeah, you know, me and Nigel had a great year together. Sometimes good things come to an end.

At the moment, being the end of the season, I'm not with anyone currently, but I do have a great support network of coaches at the LTA that I'm currently using.

Q. Hopefully you'll have one more match to play, but just sort of going into next season, how much confidence do you think you can take from this week and the way you have played?

HARRIET DART: For sure this has definitely given me a lot of confidence going into next year. To be able to two days ago play great and then do it again also shows me that, you know, it's not by chance. It's the continued work. You know, keep plugging away and good things can happen.

You know you're going to have ups and downs through the year, and it's just about remaining positive and having a really good outlook long term and a plan, and I feel like I have gained yards with that this year.

Q. Is it especially inspiring for you to be the leader of the team as the No. 1 singles player?

HARRIET DART: It's a bit wild. You know, growing up, I dreamt of being on the team and representing my country. Honestly, it's such an honor to be able to be here let alone playing as the No. 1 player.

Yeah, I have just been really, you know, happy with the way I have been putting in good performances out there. All the players here play great. You have seen it this week how there has been many upsets.

Yeah, it's just still, you know, kind of a pinch-me moment that I'm in the team, and yeah, I love representing Great Britain.

Q. Was there a moment when you discovered you were going to be leading the team, a little bit, gulp, before you came here and it started to go so well?

HARRIET DART: I try not to think about it, if I'm honest. You know, we have a great team and we have great strength and depth within British tennis on the women's side.

You know, it's not always certain that I would necessarily play, but I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to play here this week.