ROLAND GARROS

June 5, 2023

Beatriz Haddad Maia

Press Conference

B. HADDAD MAIA/S. Sorribes Tormo

6-7, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Bea, congratulations, the first Brazilian woman in over 50 years to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal. What does it mean to you to get to this level at Roland Garros?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Well, first of all, I'm very happy to be in a quarterfinals. It's a dream. I think since I start to play tennis, me, my family, and everybody from my team, I was dreaming and working very hard for this moment.

Yeah, I'm very proud for what I did today, and also the last matches, because I had to fight a lot.

Yeah, I think I will try to enjoy and deserve a little bit during the night and then be ready tomorrow for the next one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You were out there for almost four hours today. How difficult was it to not only stay physically fresh but also mentally present when things are going that long?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, well, all the matches that I play I prepare myself for the toughest moments. So I know that Sara will bring the balls. She defends very well. I knew that the ball was coming again.

I had to be aggressive. So I was prepared for that. I wasn't -- I forgot the word, but I was trying to be as aggressive as I could to finish the point, to go to the net. Yeah, I think I work very hard my body, as well, so I believe in myself when we have tough moments.

I had a lot of matches more than three hours in my career also. Yeah, as long as the match goes, I think I'm stronger. So yeah, I think it's one of my qualities. I'm very proud of my physio and my trainer, as well (smiling).

Q. We just heard about how long it's been since a Brazilian woman had got to this stage. Did you ever meet Maria Bueno? What was that like?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, I met her -- I have a picture with her in Wimbledon. That was lucky day. Also, I met her a few times in Sao Paulo. Unfortunately, she passed away, but we could talk very, like few times. She's a person who inspired us like for a lot of years. I think she's a very powerful woman, as well.

Yeah, I'm very proud to represent as well Brazil. But for sure I don't compare myself with her, because for me, she's another stage, as Guga. Yeah, she's an inspiration for me.

Q. I have a very strong accent, so I hope you will understand my question. In England, we have an expression, which is the early bird catches the worm. I understand that you wake up very early in the morning, at 6 a.m. Is that why you have been so successful here, because you are the early bird that catches the worm?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Well, yeah, I think I understood your accent (smiling).

Yeah, well, yeah, it's crazy, because you're talking about early and, yeah, this night wasn't easy for me. I slept, like, three, like four, five hours, and I was a little bit anxious. Also, yeah, sometimes we don't control the things. I was trying to, yeah, be in the present. Wasn't easy to control myself, the emotions.

But, yeah, I'm happy with the way that I manage. Yeah, I think we deserve it because of that. Thank you.

Q. It was an incredible atmosphere out on Lenglen today, and you had a lot of support. I don't know if you saw, there were some Brazilian fans wearing the 1997 Guga kit. I don't know if you were aware of that. You probably are a bit too young to remember Guga winning here. I don't know. If you do have any memories of him, has he been an influence on you? Do you have a relationship with him?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Well, when he won for the first time I was 1 years old. So for sure I don't remember.

But, yeah, I grew up playing in Brazil, hearing his name. He's for sure one of the person who make a difference for tennis in Brazil also.

I met him when I was young, when I was junior. He was finishing his career. I used to practice on Larri Passos' academy as well. I met him a few times there. I got the energy. I understood that everything comes from the heart.

I think one of the things that he teach everyone is to play with the heart. Yeah, he's an inspiration for me. But as Maria Esther Bueno, I don't compare myself with them, because for me, they are another level.

Yeah, I will do my best, work very hard, and yes, we have a good relationship.

Q. Can you just talk through the match a little bit in terms of what happened in the first set, kind of letting that lead slip, winning seven consecutive games from the second set, and then in the third set after those match points kind of came and went in that one game, what you had to do to reset yourself to make sure that didn't go to a tiebreak.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, first of all, was big match against big players, big court, and the emotions were there for both of us since the beginning.

I think I start in the right way, and then in the 5-2, I think I wasn't too aggressive. Then she start to go with deep and high balls. Yeah, it's part of the game. We need to manage, we need to understand the situation, to be humble and to work harder. So I was trying to push myself to be aggressive to stepping on the court.

Yeah, I think that was the mentality until when she was like 7-6, 3-Love advantage, I was looking to the clock and I said, Okay, we can play three hours. So let's find another way. I remember the 3-1, I did a few serve and volley, so I tried to, yeah, to change a little bit the game.

Yeah, I saw the light in the end of the... Yeah. That makes me feel stronger. I said, Okay, now I have chances, I'm back, 3-2, and the match start there for me.

Q. I think you have Lebanese origins. Can you tell us, if it's true or not, how many generations...

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: What?

Q. Lebanese.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, I have Lebanese in my name. Like Haddad.

Q. Yes, that's why.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, they came from Lebanon.

Q. How many generations ago, and are you in touch with the Lebanese community over there?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: It's like the mother of my grandmother. I don't know, I have never been there, and I also don't speak the language, but we eat Lebanese food, which is very good.

Q. When we came into the room, one of my colleagues said that today's match felt more like a marathon than a tennis match. Which do you think would have been harder for you to complete today, the tennis match or a marathon?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, I think tennis is not 100-meters race. It's a marathon. Especially my matches (smiling).

Yeah, I think I worked very hard since I'm like young, and my mentality is to not give up and always give one more chance to ourselves, even if the things are not going the way that we want.

So, yeah, I think the key today was the discipline and to be calm and to accept that, okay, I was missing. Okay, she's playing better. She changed the game. But we are in Roland Garros playing on Suzanne Lenglen, and I will try until the last point.

I think the key was to fight today.

Q. This has to feel particularly sweet, given just the journey to get back to this stage. I think I remember you saying it was challengers, throwing a bunch of racquets into a backpack and go and start to build your ranking back up. Can you reflect on those moments when you were kind of beginning to dream to get back to this? Can you give us a sense of what that was like and who that Bea was then and how she got to here?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah. It's not too far away ago. It was two years and a half, three years ago. Yeah, I had to come back. I had to fight a lot, playing quallies, 25Ks, going to the challengers, trying to play quallies from WTAs. And then I was building my game again, trying to be more aggressive.

I start to practice with a new coach as well three years ago, which make me, yeah, have another perspective, another view of tennis as well.

So, yeah, I think everyone has your own way. I had injuries. I had four surgeries also. So it's not easy to come back, but I think that's why I'm very strong when I play three, four hours. I'm very proud of myself because of that, as well.