ROLAND GARROS

June 11, 2023

Hsieh Su-Wei

Wang Xinyu

Press Conference

SuWEI-XINYU/Fernandez-Townsend

1-6, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, ladies. First time you have played a tournament together, you win a Grand Slam. What has been the key for your success these two weeks?

WANG XINYU: I mean, for us was just like having fun on the court, like Su-Wei always been saying. I think, yeah, we were not like thinking too much about winning or losing. We were just like really enjoying each other's company on court, and really enjoyed like playing with each other.

Yeah, so happy that we made it.

THE MODERATOR: Do you want to add anything?

HSIEH SU-WEI: No. (Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Hsieh Su-Wei, how did you turn that match around after losing the first set 6-1?

HSIEH SU-WEI: You know, you just need to keep play your game. You know, sometimes you lose first set, but second set, if you stay there, it's all the opportunities and then they will come. You just need to keep trying. It was keep trying, we do some cool shot, and then we cheering each other.

So I don't really think it happen, maybe we gonna lose the match today. The second set was very tough. For me, I just keep trying, stay calm, I was very peaceful. I was telling her, It's okay. The worst thing is we just take the trophy with a plate.

WANG XINYU: She's like, At least we've got a plate. Don't worry. (Laughter.)

HSIEH SU-WEI: Yeah. I tell her, It's funny, it's okay, let's play. Yeah.

Q. Wang Xinyu, you had that long game in the third set, the 3-1 game on your serve, that was maybe the key to that third set. If they break it's a lot obviously tighter. What do you think was the importance of that game to hold your serve and how important that was?

WANG XINYU: I mean, like you said, it was 3-1, and if I didn't hold my serve it's gonna be 3-2 and they're serving. They were serving like pretty good, both of them today.

So I think that game was really important. I'm really like happy we hold that game, otherwise I think it could have been tighter. Yeah.

Q. You've been so good on the baseline, Wang Xinyu, just like, I don't know, overpowering a lot of the baseline rallies, not just today but in the semifinals as well. How much more comfortable have you gotten, not just on clay as a surface, but just on the doubles court as well, knowing how to use your game and your powerful game to great effectiveness here?

WANG XINYU: I mean, from the very beginning, Su-Wei has been telling me just to go aggressive and just to, like, slap the ball. Then she's like, I will go, like, Not this one, then next one, I will go. You just keep like being aggressive.

For me, that's like I start to see, like, when we go baseline and all the, like, good players, they cannot really hold with me. That for me is like, I mean, it's really great, like, for the confidence, yeah.

Q. Hsieh Su-Wei, what does this mean for you to play your first slam since US Open 2021 and to walk away with the title?

HSIEH SU-WEI: You know, it's important to find a young girl. Then you feel fresh and young (smiling). No, I feel I'm very young.

Q. Does this one feel any different or any more special, given you've been away 16, 18 months?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Yeah, it's very special because I was not expecting to play and don't know who I play with, because at this time on the clay court season, it's middle of the year or something like this. It's hard to find a partner.

I just talking with Saisai and then I got a partner like this (snapping fingers) and then we were trying to fix again and play together and have fun. But mostly when I come by the few tournaments I try just to enjoy it.

I'm happy that she also enjoy, and I was enjoy, and we play some good tennis. We help each other and smiling on the court.

Q. Congratulations to you both. Su-Wei, can you tell us about the injury that you had and whether you thought you would make it back to playing on such a fabulous stage?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Sorry, who you ask?

Q. The time away from tennis, the injury break. What was the break that you spent away from the tour?

HSIEH SU-WEI: You ask me?

Q. Yes.

HSIEH SU-WEI: Yeah, I was injured 2019, and affect me in the singles.

But, you know, I was keep playing and still winning some match. One of the tournament I was not feeling the pain, but after that, after that couple months, I was in the big pain, it going worse and worse. So I decide to stop after one of the tournaments.

I told my partner at the championship, in the press I say, I will not play a tournament after this. So I decide to stop, because I was thinking I still want to play singles. I don't want to retire with a big injury or something. So I decide to stop a little bit.

This year Barbora was asking me to come back together. I say, Oh, that would be fun. So I come back.