ROLAND GARROS

June 8, 2023

Bianca Andreescu

Michael Venus

Press Conference

KATO-PUETZ/Andreescu-Venus

4-6, 6-4, 10-6

THE MODERATOR: Obviously not the result you wanted today, you guys, but a great run through the Roland Garros tournament in the mixed doubles. Give us your thoughts on the performance today and what were the differences in the match?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think most doubles matches are literally a point here, a point there that really, really count, but I thought we played great.

They came in clutch in a few certain moments. Yeah, it's a Grand Slam final. It's very nice to be here. Obviously it's a bit disappointing, but I think we did our best.

We had fun. I would love to play with you again, so... (laughing).

THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. So will you play together in Wimbledon?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: We haven't spoken about that yet, but if the time comes and I'm ready to play mixed doubles or I want to play mixed doubles and I'm healthy and all that, then I would love to.

Q. Your assessment, Michael, your thoughts? It's a great achievement to reach the final of a major. Obviously disappointing not to go one further, but overall your thoughts?

MICHAEL VENUS: Yeah, I mean, obviously in your sport you want to win every match, but someone always has to, unfortunately, be the loser. Unfortunately today that was us.

I had a bit of a slow start out there, but we got going, and we put ourselves in a good position to have some chances in the second set and didn't quite get there.

They played a better third-set tiebreaker, and that was that for today. We've come out on the other side of some of those tiebreakers throughout the week, and anything can happen in those.

So, yeah, you'd love to win them all, but it's not possible. It's a matter of just keep working each day and just try to improve and get in those situations again.

Q. You're pretty comfortable on these courts having done well in the men's doubles as well in the past?

MICHAEL VENUS: Yeah, I have some fond memories, and then there's been some memories I'd like to forget in between those (smiling). Yeah, I always enjoy coming back to Paris and playing here, yeah.

Q. What do you think that makes this doubles a good team? And where do you think was today's turning point of the match?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Turning point? It could have been that 4-3 game in the second set when we were up 30-love. It could have been on his serve, me missing that one put-away volley. You can't really say.

What makes us a great team is I think we have great chemistry on and off the court. I feel like our games complement each other very much. We're very communicative. If I have to say something to him, he's very open to the constructiveness of what I'm trying to say and vice versa.

Never anything negative. I'm not like that, and he is definitely not like that either. But, yeah, we're very open. Yeah, our games definitely complement each other.

Q. Bianca, can I ask you what it felt like going to sleep last night knowing you were playing in a Grand Slam final today? And you spoke last week about thinking of your grandmother who wanted to see you play in another final. Is she satisfied now, or is this not what she was talking about?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: No, she's never satisfied (smiling).

Q. Did you call her at all?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Of course.

Q. Grandma, I did pretty well here?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I talk to her basically every night, and I'm definitely going to talk to her again today. You know, just one step closer to reaching that goal.

What was the first question?

Q. Before going to sleep...

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Oh, yeah. I was very excited. A little agitated. It took me a while to go to bed, because I was super excited. I mean, a Grand Slam final is an incredible achievement. But I had a great night's sleep. I was able to calm myself down. I felt the same this morning. Just super excited to get going.

I thought we played well. Just a point here and there that really made a difference.

Q. Michael, can you tell us how is it to play with her?

MICHAEL VENUS: It's unbelievable. I think if we play again next time, maybe she needs to serve first. It seems that her serve never gets broken, but mine does.

No, it's really fun. I mean, what she can do on the court and then also, yeah, the chance we have and the energy, it's just a lot of fun to be out there and be competing alongside her.

Q. Did the partnership, having a teammate, I don't know, at times over the last year or two you have spoken about struggling with the fun factor of tennis. Did this help in that category?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: Uh-huh. And I told him that after the match today. I was, like, that was really fun. I really feel like I needed that just to bring more of that even into my singles game. Sometimes I feel like I can be too serious, too hard on myself.

But it's obviously nice to have somebody give you some constructive criticism on the court or tell you that everything is fine, don't worry about it, just move on to the next point.

I mean, I could do that myself, but it's always nice to have that person or somebody just say that to you out loud. But, no, I'm definitely going to bring a lot of what I learned in the doubles this week into my singles game.

Q. Michael has said what's good about playing alongside you. What's good about playing alongside Michael during points? I mean, I know you said very communicative, but what are the positives of having Michael, who is so experienced on the doubles court, alongside you?

BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think the main thing is I'm learning a lot from him. I'm learning a lot about different tactics, different things I can do at the net, even at the baseline, things I have never learned before. I think that's number one.

Yeah, just his openness and communicating and trying new things. Maybe letting me lead sometimes, telling him where I want him to serve, where I want to go. Little things like that.

Q. Michael, you just touched about Wimbledon. When do you think you'll have a conversation to see if there's the chance for that, or what are your thoughts? You can say something now if you want. I'm putting you on the spot.

MICHAEL VENUS: Obviously I would be super keen to play, but Bianca, singles is her priority, so she needs to figure out how she's feeling and how her body is and all those things and that. Yeah, I don't know.

BIANCA ANDREESCU: You'll wait on me.

MICHAEL VENUS: I'll put my phone on loud and see how long (laughing)...

No, there's no pressure. I had super fun. If it happens again, it would be awesome, but totally understand if it doesn't work. So we'll see.

Q. Michael, as the more experienced doubles player, do you have to be careful not to get into -- do you know the expression "mansplaining," in the middle of the match? Bianca knows the expression.

MICHAEL VENUS: I don't know the expression.

Q. It's sort of the man explaining how things are. Where is that line that you find when you are on the court when you are playing in terms of --

BIANCA ANDREESCU: He is not like that at all.

Q. -- strategy, or do you just let her freelance?

MICHAEL VENUS: She's obviously an unbelievable player on that end. What she sees on the court, we're kind of bouncing ideas off each other. I ask her what she sees. She asks me what I see, and we kind of discuss through that. Then we see, okay, what's the best way to kind of proceed with that set? How can we maximize our strengths and that and go from there?

So, yeah, we're just working together as a team.