BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2023

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/B. Haddad Maia

6-1, 2-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Good fight from you today. Can you talk about your performance.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I'm really pleased to have come through that match. I think it was, yeah, really tough out there. To battle it out in three sets, I was really proud of the way that I regrouped and came back in the third.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. In terms of the actual way you were playing, how pleased are you that you are progressing the way you are as you go through the draw? You are just getting better and better.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think I played a really high level at some points of the match. I think that I played extremely well in the first set and in the third set, as well. There were some really good points and moments. I think overall the level increased in the third, and it was a battle from both of us.

Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with just being on the match court.

Q. Physically, how are you feeling? You sound a lot better than you did the other day.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good, to be honest. I did just come off a three-setter, but yeah, I'm physically a lot better.

Q. The sort of emotional experience of that third set, did you feel tight at all? Did you feel free? What was going through your mind as you were in crunch time?

EMMA RADUCANU: I actually, like obviously I had chances and match points at 5-3 in the third, and then I had match points again at 5-4 on my serve, 40-15, missed the first one. So it was my fourth match point.

I think I did a really good job mentally of just staying -- you know, keep hitting through the shots and trying to be, like, committing to everything, even when it's tight. Even when you're just like you don't want to hope the opponent misses, because at this level, they don't.

I think my first match point she hit the back of the line, and I was, like, half praying the ball was going to go out, but it didn't. Then she put the next ball away.

But, yeah, I'm pleased because I did face some breakpoints early in the third set and, yeah, came through and I felt really good out there.

Q. In tennis there are a lot of rules, a lot of traditions, procedures. Your career is still young, but if you could change one thing in the game of tennis, what would that be?

EMMA RADUCANU: Good question. I never really thought about it. I just feel like it is what it is for everyone, and you've just got to deal with it. Like, there is no point in changing anything, really (smiling).

Maybe some more time in between points, depending on the weather or something like that. Just because sometimes it's quite brutal out there having long rallies and it's really hot, and to recover and you only have got 25 seconds. Yeah, probably that one.

Q. How about no press conferences?

EMMA RADUCANU: I'm used to you guys now (smiling).

Q. You said on court you will be watching to see who your next opponent is. Will you be quietly rooting for one rather than the other?

EMMA RADUCANU: To be honest, I don't know if I'm going to watch or not. I was just on on-court post-match press conference, you kind of say what you say, and that's it.

But, yeah, I have to get back, do treatment, and, yeah, don't know. Just chill out this evening, take it easy.

Q. The only time you have played either of your potential next opponents was last year on clay. People compare the conditions here to clay. I'm wondering how relevant the experience from last year is in your preparation for the next match.

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it's true. I played Iga on indoor clay, which actually the surface was pretty quick in Stuttgart. Bianca in Rome, it was the opposite. It was very heavy.

So it is pretty relevant, I guess. Like against Bianca I wasn't really fit for that match, so I know roughly how both of them play. Obviously both won slams. The match is going to be pretty good (smiling).

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Q. When you are in a match like today where you set off at such a pace and everything was great, and the match starts to turn and it's a dog fight, how do you manage to repel the frustration that must build up in you?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, I started off really strongly, and a small dip in intensity or focus can just lead to a 6-2 set, as you saw.

Yeah, you just have to reset in the third, and it's really just a shootout, and it's almost easier to just think, okay, like one set, everything you've got. Really go for it.

But you see it happen a lot in tennis. Like, I saw it last night with Medvedev. Yeah, I guess took maybe some inspiration from him doing that.

Yeah, I feel like it is quite common.

Q. We Americans love to go to Britain, and the Brits often like to come here, spend a fair amount of time here. Could you say what you like best about our country and maybe what you don't like the best about our country.

EMMA RADUCANU: Honestly, I have been loving my time here in the States. Now the weather is great. It's so easy, so functional. You can drive everywhere. I love driving, personally. So I can just go on drives. The roads are so wide and you can just pull up and park and do your business, and it's not like a nightmare trying to park and parallel park (smiling).

I love, yeah, just the ease and practicality of it. Everyone is really friendly here, as well, which is really nice and warm.

Yeah, I'm really enjoying my time in the States.

Q. What about us driving on the wrong side of the street?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I had to get used to that a little bit. The first few times I was driving out here I was drifting a little bit, because, yeah, driving on the wrong side, or the right, whatever. But yeah, I'm getting used to it more now, yeah.

Q. Do you do the American thing of not indicating whenever you change lanes?

EMMA RADUCANU: You know what I don't understand is like the stop junction signs, how it's one and then one, but who decides who arrived first, you know. Like the turning on the right like when it's red, it's, like, what's going on?

Q. It is clockwise, by the way.

EMMA RADUCANU: Is it? That's good to know.

Q. Whoever gets there first, then it's supposed to go clockwise.

EMMA RADUCANU: Okay. I'll keep that one in mind.

Q. I'm going to stay away from where you're driving. Did you play today like not thinking about any of the past injuries, like totally pain-free? Were you not thinking about your body when you're out there?

EMMA RADUCANU: It's nice. I mean, physically I actually feel pretty good. I mean, I have been managing my wrists, obviously. But that's something that I'm continuing to manage, and I'm doing everything off the court to try and make them in the best possible place to compete.

So far we are on top of it. So, yeah, I'm able to do well out there.