ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2023

Clara Tauson

Press Conference

C. TAUSON/A. Sasnovich

6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Clara. Can you share some thoughts about your match today.

CLARA TAUSON: I think I played a very solid match, and I was happy with the win. It was a good win for me, and I think I showed that I can play some good tennis on clay (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Great tennis today. It's been a while since we have seen you at a slam. I know you have been through some injuries and had to work your way back up through challengers. Can you give us a general overview what it's been like for you the last six, nine months, what you've been through.

CLARA TAUSON: Yeah, I have been through a lot, different injuries, different tough ones. It's the first time in my career I had problems.

It was hard for me, but I kept fighting and kept believing in myself. Not that I'm there yet, but I feel like I'm going there now and I'm on the right way.

Yeah, it's just nice to be back (smiling).

Q. Welcome back. Just in terms of that journey back and having kind of the setbacks and things, what did you have to maybe learn about yourself and kind of change in how you approached your tennis to overcome all that and get back to here?

CLARA TAUSON: Yeah, I obviously had to adjust some things. I was practicing a lot of hours every single day. You have to do that, but sometimes you need to think about the quality over the quantity. I'm doing that now. Still working a lot, of course, but not as many hours.

Yeah, I think I just needed to learn that I need to listen to my body sometimes, and I need to give it rest. Yeah, just keep going with everything I can.

Q. You had such a good start to last year, and for the injuries that happened when they did, was it especially frustrating and how did you manage those emotions of being patient and knowing you're working your way back?

CLARA TAUSON: Yeah, it's always annoying I think to get injured, especially when I was on my way up and doing really good.

But I think everybody has a different journey. I'm on mine. I'm still young and have lots of time. Yeah, I'm just happy to be here and happy to get a win.

Q. Is it hard sometimes to realize that you are still young, given that you had some great results and were kind of really on the rise and catching all of our attention? For you personally was it a little hard to be patient?

CLARA TAUSON: Yeah, I mean, I'm a very impatient person, especially when it comes to my tennis.

I believe a lot in myself. And, yeah, I don't feel as young as I maybe am. When you play a lot, it's a different feeling.

I have to keep reminding myself I'm only 20 years old, and I did some great stuff in the past, but I have to look forward now.

Q. What are you most looking forward to, now that you're back on the Grand Slam stage, getting your ranking slowly back up, but what are you most looking forward to to kind of playing at the tour level again?

CLARA TAUSON: I think I'm looking forward to playing on some bigger courts. Yeah, even Court 8 here is big for me now. So, yeah, I'm really happy about that. I feel I can play my best tennis on bigger courts. I feel comfortable there.

That's what I'm looking most forward to (smiling).

Q. Have you switched coaches? Are you no longer with Olivier, and also are you no longer with Justine's academy?

CLARA TAUSON: Yeah, I switched. My contract was done at the end of last year, and I was obviously not making any money because I was injured the whole year. So for me it was a tough situation, and I went a little everywhere.

And, yeah, we stopped in December last year. Now I'm with a new coach, and it's going good.

Q. Your next match, you're playing Leylah in a rematch of your junior final at the Australian. I'm curious what you remember about that match.

CLARA TAUSON: I think I remember a lot. It was a great match. We've had some great setups. We played each other four times I think in juniors, and she's a great friend.

But I also know that she has all the pressure. I mean, she's US Open finalist, and a top-50 player all the time.

I think I'm just gonna be happy to be there and see what I can do and hopefully I can do well.

Q. Just in terms of that period of time, obviously you had all the results on the tour level and then having to kind of drop back down and play, talking about size of courts and adjusting to a different life on different levels on the tour. What was that experience like for you? Was it difficult to have to drop back down knowing what you had experienced on some of the biggest courts in the world?

CLARA TAUSON: Yeah, I mean, I played on the biggest court in the world, I think. Arthur Ashe is the biggest court there is. Yeah, it's obviously different, but I have been through ITF before and I know how it is. I don't feel uncomfortable there, but of course I would rather be here.

Yeah, I think I'm just happy to finally get back up there, and of course I still have some way to go, but yeah, just happy to be here.