PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX

April 19, 2023

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/B. Krejcikova

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: A very dominant performance today. Just talk us through your thoughts on the match.

ARYNA SABALENKA: Yeah, it was great match, and I'm super happy with this win. It's always tough match against Barbora.

Yeah, just happy with the level today. Yeah, it was a great match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What do you think you did particularly well today? What were you most pleased with?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think, yeah, serve was really working well today. On the return I put a lot of pressure on her so she didn't have that much time. Yeah, I was dominated because of that.

Q. Do you look at the draw anymore, or do you already know you have to play Krejcikova sooner or later? How much confidence does it give you to beat Roland Garros champion pretty handily on clay?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I'm not really looking into the draw. Yeah, this year we played a lot. Always tough matches, as I said.

So giving me a lot of confidence, it just give me believe that I can do well on clay (smiling).

Q. A question about the tournament, because some people say it's a pretty tough tournament because you compete against Grand Slam champions in the first round, more or less. Is that true, or is it something that you expect when you come here?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, it's true and it's also something you expect because the draw is 32, and everyone is playing this tournament because it's such a great tournament.

But I think because of the first rounds like that, it's makes this tournament even more interesting to watch. It's tough to play, but it's interesting challenge, you know, playing the first round against a Grand Slam champion.

Q. Is there anybody anywhere else in the world that is comparable to this, or is this quite unique in your calendar?

ARYNA SABALENKA: You mean this tournament?

Q. Yes. I mean competing against a Grand Slam champion in the first match, for example.

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, it's something unique, like you're never gonna play first round against Grand Slam champion in the bigger tournament. I don't know. I think it's a good preparation before the bigger tournament. You play only tough matches from the first round, so I think it's a good tournament to play before going into the big tournaments.

Q. You were joking a little bit about your double faults last year. What did you change? What was the problem? Was it a technical thing, a psychological thing? What did you change to serve that well?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I think it was all together a psychological thing. So many things happened last year, so it was a lot of emotions going through my mind.

Then it was technical. It was all together, and I just worked a lot every day, serving a lot, trying to figure out my problem and trying to change my technique on the serve.

Through the work I get through it, you know.

Q. Just on the topic of, yeah, the 32 draw here in Stuttgart and also the strength of the field, when it comes to, like you said, having to play such high-quality opponents from the very first match here, I guess how hard is that, though? Because obviously like a tournament like Indian Wells you're going to play somebody sub-40 in the first round. How difficult is it to hit the ground running in your first match?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, it's really difficult, but at the same time it's help me to learn how to stay focused from the first rounds and fight for every point, not making like stupid mistakes, you know, like to being focused, you know, from the very first point of the tournament, you know.

So I think it's help me for the future, because now like in the next tournaments when you're not facing like top-10 players in the first rounds, you are going to be more focused and you'll be able to bring your best tennis from the first matches so you're not having a lot of troubles in the first rounds and help you to manage your energy better during the tournament.

So I think it's a good thing. It's a good tournament to play, and it's good for improving yourself.