ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 7, 2023

Linda Noskova

Press Conference

L. NOSKOVA/O. Jabeur

6-3, 1-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Linda, congratulations on making your first WTA-level final. How does it feel?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Obviously amazing feeling. I just played a lot of matches, so I'm just grateful that I get out all of them. Just looking forward playing finals tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You talk about playing a lot of matches. You saved a match point in your first match this week on New Year's Eve. That must seem a long time ago.

LINDA NOSKOVA: Yeah, that was a long time ago, wow. No, it was a really tough match, the first one. Obviously the first of this year. I played great. Actually I don't expected to. I'm just continuing playing like that, so that's great.

Q. We love stats. You being 18, you're the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki since 2008 to make a WTA Final. What does that mean to you?

LINDA NOSKOVA: That's a great feeling.

No, obviously amazing tournament. I'm just playing good. That's all I care about. The results doesn't mean that much to me compared to if I play really great and I'm hitting the shots that I should. So that's good.

Q. What was the expectation coming here as an 18-year-old ranked 102 in the world?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Just to win the first round of quallies, then probably move forward (smiling). But, yeah, like you said, I was one point away from losing first round in quallies. Just very lucky.

Q. When the matches are not going your way, it seems like nothing bothers you. Is this something you work hard on or is this part of your personality, demeanor?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I don't work on it at all. It's just part of me. I'm just really happy to be like that. Not really emotional even after wins or losses. That's great.

But sometimes people are like, Does it mean anything to you?

I'm like, Yeah, it does, but I'm just not showing (smiling).

Yeah, that's it.

Q. You think it definitely helps you in those situations?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Yeah, a lot of times. It helped me through a lot of matches that seemed really not good, win or just go my way. Yeah, that's an advantage of mine.

Q. In the tight moments, we are used to seeing players with panic in their eyes, worry. What's going on in your head? Do you not feel it? Are you saying anything to yourself?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Oh, I feel it. I feel it a lot. I'm just not going to trying to fake it, like, being super, extremely happy or feeling it in the other way, like super disappointed or anything.

Just trying to win each other point, so that's all that matters. The past isn't really as important as the future obviously.

Q. Today against Ons, she took the medical timeout, may not have been moving that well, but that could create stress in terms of closing it out for you. How did you try to stay even, not letting her ups and downs rattle you?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Definitely didn't get a lot of rhythm from her side. Neither from mine. I just tried to hit each point like 100%. Obviously it wasn't the best match of all that I played here. But every match and win counts, so it's just days like this.

Q. Talking about stats, you came into the tournament with two top-100 wins in your career. That number is higher now. Good start of the season. What so far is the most meaningful thing to you of your week in Adelaide?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Probably yesterday's match. It was really tough physically and mentally as well. I didn't show it, but it was still there (smiling). Yeah, I had to recover real quick.

I did feel some pain in my left leg today, but it didn't affect me probably as much as Ons. I just hope she will get better soon. That's the main goal of all of us.

Q. Now that you're a few months removed from it, what do you feel you learned from that experience of playing Venus and Serena, packed house, night session US Open?

LINDA NOSKOVA: That was definitely the greatest feeling of my tennis career so far. So I'm just going to live with this, which is great. To face two greatest champions, my role models let's say, it was just incredible feeling just playing on that court and just facing these two. The win didn't matter that much, so... Amazing tournament.

I'm just looking forward to coming back there next year - this year, I mean.

Q. Can you tell us who your team are, who the coach is on the sideline? What expectation have you set with your team of this season?

LINDA NOSKOVA: It is Tomas Krupa from Czech Republic, as well. He lives in the same city as I do. We practice, like, 10 kilometers from our houses. It's pretty great.

Obviously just working on my weaknesses, just keeping it steady really because that's my weakness, I would say, the biggest one.

Q. After this week, do you reset your 2023 goals given next week you might be in the top 50?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Top 50?

Q. 43 if you win tomorrow.

LINDA NOSKOVA: Damn (smiling).

No, there are obviously bigger goals each day: just improving my game and the results are going to come on its own hopefully.

Q. During the period when the sun was going down, shadows across the court, did that impact you at all?

LINDA NOSKOVA: A lot. The beginning of second set was a really tough one. I lost two games in a row, so she was in the lead 4-1 or 2-1, something like that. I didn't see a thing, to be honest. That was really, really tough to process.

But glad that third set the whole court was in shadow, so that was great.

Q. What difference is it going to make for you this year that you're 18 and you don't have limits on how much you can play? Do you think you're going to play more tournaments? What do you think the best part of your game is?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I feel like obviously I don't have to take a look at how many tournaments I play, how many do I have to play, until the end of the year. I don't have to, like, just look on the schedule and just plan it. I can just go anywhere I want. Obviously how my body is going to feel. If there are going to be any injuries, which are not the serious ones so far, so I'm grateful for that.

What was the second question?

Q. The best part of your game, the thing that helps you win matches the most.

LINDA NOSKOVA: Just my mentality I would say. I don't really get too upset really quickly. And just trying to go for each ball, to be the first one to try to finish the point, so the aggressive game.

Q. You face Sabalenka next. How are you feeling physically? What do you think of facing Sabalenka in the final?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I feel great. Like, it's weird for me. I really felt the injury is going to come or that today I'm going to be really tired on court, but I wasn't at all. That's a great feeling to go to the finals with.

Well, facing Sabalenka, it's obviously going to be a great match hopefully. I am just going to try to be more aggressive than her, but that's going to be really tough (smiling).

Yeah, we'll see how it goes, who is going to be the first one to finish the point.

Q. You have been in Adelaide a long time. Have you developed a routine while you've been in Adelaide?

LINDA NOSKOVA: In the first, like, five days I had to wake up early, which is like 8 for me because I love to sleep. Last three days I really slept like a lot, so that's really great. Obviously I will sleep like 12 hours I would say today. That's going to be my recovery.

Q. We haven't touched on your country. You're going to be one of nine Czech women players in the top 100. Does that inspire you? How much did it help you so far?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I feel like there's a lot of us, so we just want to not compare each other to each other. It's just the pressure is obviously there compared to the international players, as well.

I'm just trying to play my best game, and nothing else really matters as much as that one.