ROLAND GARROS

June 8, 2023

Beatriz Haddad Maia

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/B. Haddad Maia

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Bea, you must be incredibly proud of your run here at Roland Garros. Also just talk us through your thoughts on the match, particularly that second set, which was so competitive.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Thank you. Well, first of all, I'm happy. I think this match and this week will bring me a lot of things to improve, things that we learn to, yeah, to build our game, our mentality, as well.

Our first goal was to go to the third round. Before Roland Garros 2023, my best result in Grand Slam was second round. So I think we worked very hard, and me and my team, we deserve and we need to be very proud of ourselves, because it's not easy to be in this stage.

Yeah, I think today Iga was, yeah, she was better than me. I think I was a little bit more emotional in the beginning. Also, playing for the first time semifinals against Iga, the No. 1 in the world, Philippe Chatrier, a lot of Brazilians there, so I think, yeah, I couldn't be like very disciplined and concentrated in the things that I had to be, but yeah, I did my best.

I think I tried to, yeah, to change, I tried to push myself until the end of the match. I had a lot of chances, but tennis, it is like this. Sometimes it's your day; sometimes it's not. I will learn a lot of things from today and the matches I played during this week.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congrats on a great two weeks. What was it like to be on Court Philippe Chatrier with your name being chanted by everyone in there, and, yeah, just to try to hold it together to play a match while that's happening?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Sometimes I think it was confusing, because I was listening, Bea or Iga.

Q. They were going back and forth.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: I didn't know, it was "Bea-ga." It wasn't always Bea. Brazilians are loud. (Laughter.)

Yeah, it feels great. It's very special to be here. As I said in the interview, it's a dream to play Roland Garros, to play a semifinals, to have the chance, yeah, to share the court and enjoy the moment with big players, big courts.

I was very lucky because I played in my favorite courts in Roland Garros, even like first round, Court 14. Then I had the chance to play in Simonne Mathieu, and Suzanne Lenglen, so it was an amazing week.

I think, yeah, I just need to say thanks for everybody who came to support me today. The energy was so nice. The atmosphere was amazing, and brought me a lot of motivation to keep going, to keep fighting.

Yeah, I wish I could win the second set, but yeah, it wasn't today.

Q. On the match, in that second set in particular, it seemed like your forehand down the line was a real game changer when it was working. It felt like she was struggling to kind of break herself out of that pattern.

Can you talk about that a little bit just from a tactical side how you kind of were able to pull that second set as tight as you did.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Well, Iga, she defends very well. Yeah, I tried to play aggressive. I think in the beginning wasn't working, not because I was doing, like, wrong shots but I was missing a lot. Also she was like more like calm than me.

But yeah, I was trying to not think too much on her. I was trying to play my game. Yeah, I think it's small details. When you play semifinals of a Grand Slam, I think it's not only about tennis; it's more the mentality that you go and you step on the court.

So, yeah, I think today I could be better emotionally, but yeah, my tactic always is to improve my tennis as aggressive as I can.

Q. I was surprised at the beginning of your press conference, because you needed probably two minutes before you say, I played against Iga. Before that you said "we," "we learned a lot," "we played," "we lived the dream." I wanted to understand what is "we"? Is it your team or maybe the Brazilian fans here? I don't know. If it's so important for you, can you describe us who is in your team, how you work together. It looks like, yeah, a real team project. Please tell us the story.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah. Well, when I say "we," is because of my team, for sure. I think when we win, when we won matches, big matches, I always say "we" as well. So nice moments, tough moments, we are always together, they always support me.

I think we spend more time together than my family. Yeah, they are for sure, before, very good professional. They are very nice like human being. They have values that I like.

Yeah, I learn a lot with them. I think everybody was giving 100%. We work very hard to be here to be in this moment. So, yeah, I'm very proud of them as well. I think they are young. They have never been in this situation as well, and they have the same dream.

Yeah, we just go for it with 100% of energy and, yeah, I think I'm lucky to have them around me (smiling).

Q. Bea, congratulations on how well you have played here at Roland Garros. Whenever I see Brazil on the TV, the sun is always shining, the people are always smiling, and they are having fun on the beach. Is that why you played so well at Roland Garros? Because the sun was always shining, you were always smiling, and at times you were playing tennis like you were having fun on the beach.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, it's a good comparison. Yeah, I think Brazilians are this way. We are like, frankly, they like, yeah, to be sometimes be loud. Yeah, they like to receive people. We are very like frankly with everyone.

It's very nice is to receive, to have this energy as well. We are lucky during the whole week was sunny. I think everybody enjoyed and also not only me, I think all the players here, we had the conditions to play.

Yeah, I'm just proud and, yeah, I felt very comfortable and, yeah, I will keep this week as a special week in my life (smiling).

Q. At the net, you and Iga exchanged a hug. I believe you guys practice together more frequently than not. But what is it like to face her, you know, when she's on a surface that she enjoys, when she's playing well? I know you were saying focusing on yourself and trying to do what you're trying to do, but what does it feel like to play Iga?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: I think it feels as whenever you play like a top player, I think you have like nothing to lose, but also, you have the pressure that you need to go for it. Otherwise she's gonna come and she's gonna make it.

I think everybody who plays top players as her, we have like the mentality that we need to go for it, we need big courage, we need to be aggressive, because otherwise she's gonna come.

So I think she's in, like mentally she's in another step, level from the other players. I think, yeah, like she work very hard with her team as well. They are always together, always doing things, new things. So this is very nice from her.

And also, I respect her a lot, because she's a really nice person as well. She represent the women's tennis not only on the court but off court, as well. She's like a nice person.

So, yeah, it's tennis. It's a battle, but yeah, I respect her. It feels great to share the court with her.