UNITED CUP

December 30, 2022

Rafael Paciaroni

Rafael Matos

Luisa Stefani

Beatriz Haddad Maia

Thiago Monteiro

Laura Pigossi

Team Brazil

Press Conference

STEFANI-MATOS/Rosatello-Berrettini

6-4, 6-7, 10-4

Team Italy - 3

Team Brazil - 2

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts so far on the setup of the tournament.

CAPTAIN PACIARONI: I think it was a very close tie. We had our chance, but Italy maybe have a little bit more experience on this kind of competitions, and in the biggest moments they played just a little bit better. But we had like very close situations in all the match pretty much.

Yes, we are a young team, and we keep learning, fighting every single day. I'm sure tomorrow we are going to be better and we are going to play well against Norway.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Thiago, just on the passing of Pele, what that meant to the team and how you regarded him and what he's done for Brazil and also for yourself?

THIAGO MONTEIRO: Yeah, today was a sad day for us, for Brazil in general. Pele was our biggest idol in sports. He did so much even for the country to showing Brazil, to the world, and we had a lot of respect for him.

So, yeah, it was a sad day for us, but the past few days we knew that he was suffering some difficult situations with health and, yeah, it happened. Just want to thank him for everything that he did for the country, for the sports, and also for everybody in Brazil that respects him a lot.

Q. Do you think it's also the way he went about it with great passion and love for mankind, as well?

THIAGO MONTEIRO: Yeah, yeah, of course we try to get this spirit. I think he was the first athlete in Brazil that we could have this reference, that we could get some of this passion about what we are doing, what we have to do to achieve our dreams, and for sure it was example for us.

Q. Luisa and Rafael, I know Italy won the tie today 3-2, but because of your mixed doubles win at the end, does it feel like it was a little bit of a victory for you at the end of the day? I know in other competitions, sometimes if it's already 3-1, the doubles is like a dead rubber, but it felt live today, if that makes sense. What was the team feeling when you were able to get that win and know you were still alive in the competition?

LUISA STEFANI: Yeah, I think we entered the doubles never thinking it was a dead match. I think in these kind of competitions every match matters and the attitude matters a lot as well and how we show that we are there to win no matter what point it was, if it's first point of the match or first point of the tie or if it's the last match of the tie, which in this case it's mixed doubles, if it's the deciding match or if it's 3-1 down.

I think that's the Brazilian spirit. We're gonna fight for every point and game and set and match no matter what the score is in general, and I think that's kind of message we want to send to our team and our players and also to the other teams. I think this is what we are here to do.

I'm really happy about getting that win. I think the whole team had a lot of fun. I don't know, Rafa and I had a lot of fun on court, and it seemed like the team had a lot of fun off court. I think these kind of competitions, it's the most important thing. Obviously we want to get the win, but doing the right thing is what's going to get us moving forward.

Yeah, very happy about it.