AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2023

Diede De Groot

Press Conference

D. De GROOT/Y. Kamiji

0-6, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Diede. Fantastic effort to claim your fifth Australian Open singles title.

Tell us what you were thinking after that first set and how did you turn it around?

DIEDE de GROOT: I don't even really know how I managed to turn that around. The first set was really just, it went all to Yui. I didn't even have a chance to get a game, I think.

I was talking to my coach a little bit before this, and like I tried to stay as calm as I could, but I think my body was showing that I wasn't calm.

So even though in my head I was trying to stay calm, my body wasn't. I tried to do that differently in the second set. Then I managed to get into the rallies a little bit more, which helped me to get just a little bit more time to get into my game. I think that helped me.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Just on that, was it a combination of factors why you started slow? Was it that Kamiji started really well and she was finding her rhythm more?

DIEDE de GROOT: Actually, I played a pretty good first game. I think I even had some game points. I don't remember.

But I told myself, You know what? I didn't win this game, but it was all right. I can work with this. But then the second game, I remember I hit this first return and it was like five meters out of the court. I was, like, Oh, okay.

Then I think Yui, immediately she's on it and she knows, and, yeah, she knows exactly what to do from that point.

So even, like I think in the third set, sometimes I would not have the most perfect ball, but she wouldn't hit a winner from that. Whereas in the first set I hit, like, a decent ball and she would hit a winner from it. So it was a little bit of both, I think.

Q. Going into that, you had won 12 of the 14 slam finals against her. How much is that in the back of your mind when you're losing like that?

DIEDE de GROOT: It's a little bit crazy, I think, as a tennis player, or at least as being me. I will always be a little bit more like searching sometimes, like trying to get into the game, trying to feel relaxed and normal.

My coach asked me before the game, like, How do you feel?

I was, like, Yeah, I feel good. I feel normal. I'm going to play this match. I know it's going to be a tough one. So I already knew this (smiling).

But I think sometimes I need to start the matches more confident and try and, I don't know, behave like the champion that sometimes my results tell me.

So, yeah, it's always going to be that little bit of thought where I know I can win, I have done it many more times before, but I need to believe in it. It's funny how that sometimes works as a tennis player.

Q. It's your ninth straight major, so you're now in the two off Esther and three off Shingo's all-time record of a winning streak. Is that extra motivation for this year?

DIEDE de GROOT: No (smiling). No, I really try to stay away from those numbers, because they can frighten you. I think also when you only look at the numbers, you're going to be disappointed when it doesn't happen, even though it's very realistic to sometimes lose. Like it's not normal to only win matches.

So, yeah, I always try to just go into it and try and feel well and feel the game. I don't try and go into it and think I can't lose this one.

So, yeah, no, I'm just going to try my hardest for the next one really.

Q. Congratulations. Yui said that she is now building up like more attacking, offensive tennis in order to win against you. So did you realize the change of her play style or strategy and that is the reason that you get a little bit less calm in beginning of today's match?

DIEDE de GROOT: I have noticed Yui changing her game over the years. I always see it as a little bit of a compliment, because she tries to really find a way to beat me. She does really well in trying to change her game, finding new ways.

Yeah, she's been playing like this for -- maybe also at the US Open final she played like this. And after that when I played her last week as well. So I know Yui is changing her game a little bit, and I need to find a solution for this.

Q. Did you find that solution in the second set maybe?

DIEDE de GROOT: I think so. I think it was also a little bit of a combination where I tried to calm down a little bit and not be, like, hold back, so I was a little bit too calm maybe and therefore not hitting my own ball, so I tried to do that a little bit more, and then also, I don't know, tried to feel, get into it, get one game.