ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL

June 26, 2023

Jodie Burrage

Devonshire Park

Press Conference

J. BURRAGE/L. Davis

4-6, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Jodie, how happy were you with today's results, especially since you had a second lease at life coming through as the Lucky Loser?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, obviously very lucky to be in the draw, yeah, after losing my last-round quallies match, but, you know, thankful that it happened and, yeah, really happy with the result today.

It was a tough match out there. The conditions were not easy. So, yeah, really happy to be through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can you just tell us when you found out that you were getting back into the draw? How much did your plans change? You did a U-turn on the motorway or anything?

JODIE BURRAGE: Well, yeah, I was on the way home, actually, or back to my parents. Me and my boyfriend were going to get my dog. I mean, we were staying that night anyway, but we were halfway when I got the e-mail from Carolyn, and actually, I was umming and ahing about playing because I have had shoulder injury, I rolled my ankle last week, body is not in the best shape (smiling).

So I actually decided to carry on driving, because I couldn't be like, Yeah, I want to play. I mean, obviously I want to play, but I was trying to figure out what the smart thing to do was. We actually ended up carrying on driving home. Stayed at mum's that night and then drove two hours this morning back here (smiling). So, yeah, plan, wasn't the best prep, but it worked.

Q. Are you driving back there tonight?

JODIE BURRAGE: No, no, thankfully. I mean, I checked out of the hotel and stuff so I'm in a different hotel now, but thankfully, yeah, the guys here have sorted it out for me.

Q. So what's happened to the dog?

JODIE BURRAGE: Dog is back at mum's. Yeah, God, it's a nightmare trying to sort it out, but no, dog is back at mum's. He's happy to be there anyway.

Q. Just for the record, what is the dog? What's his name?

JODIE BURRAGE: Otto, he's a black lab. My parents have one as well called Cody, a fox red lab, and they get on really well. He loves it there, to be fair.

Q. Loves to play with a tennis ball?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah. You know, I was actually thinking of bringing him here, and if they had allowed dogs on-site we would have, but actually, I have taken him to the courts a few times at NTC and he is terrible. Because he's a big boy as well. If he sees a tennis ball, tennis court, he's on there straightaway.

So actually, yeah, we probably could never take him to a tennis tournament, but he would definitely love it.

Q. So I imagine Wimbledon is a no-no?

JODIE BURRAGE: It's a straight no, yeah (smiling).

Q. Has something like that ever happened to you in terms of being a Lucky Loser and being on your way out of there when you found out?

JODIE BURRAGE: I can't remember the last time I was Lucky Loser, you know. I have stayed around a few times in Miami. No, in Miami? Yeah, Miami and in Madrid, the 1000s, I stayed around. I stayed for days.

You know, it just so happens the time I get out of there I actually get in. So, yeah, no, it's a first but it worked.

Q. None of the women have got a wildcard for Wimbledon. They have wildcards but didn't qualify directly. Obviously I know every country slam does it, but LTA, All England Club, are awarding British players not getting through. Is that fair in your eyes you should get that leg up into the draw? What's your opinion?

JODIE BURRAGE: I mean, there is wildcards there for a reason and we are at an advantage, it obviously being in our country. Everyone would like to be there on their own merit. I would have loved to have been in on my own merit. I think I'm, what, 8 out at the moment? So, you know, pretty close.

But yeah, us, the girls, yes, we're not inside top 100, although Boults is now. I think this moves me to like 105 or something. Harriet is going back. We are getting there. Tennis is, you know, a sport where it's year-round, the ranking system, it's a year-round thing, it's a consistency thing.

We are getting better at that. It's something that we've got to improve on playing week in, week out, all of us, that's what we are working on.

So I do think, yeah, they have those wildcards for a reason. Why wouldn't they use them? I think we are proving here and the other tournaments that we can win matches against those players. So, yeah, I say why not?

Q. I don't want to preempt the draw, but you have potentially got Coco Gauff in the next round.

JODIE BURRAGE: Do I? I didn't even look, to be fair.

Q. Sorry.

JODIE BURRAGE: No, that's fine.

Q. Can you talk about her, maybe if you have ever hit with her, what your feelings about her are? She's obviously a big figure.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, no, I haven't spent any time with Coco. I have obviously watched her play loads. Being that young, doing that well, it's incredible. You know, her run at Wimbledon when she was kind of breaking through, everyone was watching it.

If I play her, it would be great to play her. It would be such a fun match. Yeah, I don't know who she's playing against first so she's got to get through that one.

Yeah, it would be another great experience for me to play a player of that stature, as well.

Q. A lot of British players have very different game styles, yet all of you seem to thrive on grass. Why do you think that is, that you all do so well on grass?

JODIE BURRAGE: It's a good question, actually, because, yeah, we do have different game styles. But I think when it comes to grass, you know, people say, Oh, yeah, British players play on grass all the time.

We don't. We play on grass the same amount as other people. Yes, when it becomes grass time, we get a little bit more practice. But I think, you know, going in with the mentality of you're playing at home, it's a completely different surface to anything, and other people may be feeling uncomfortable, not as confident on it.

I think, you know, we kind of back ourselves with that confidence. There has been so many different stories about people having runs in grass court events and everything. I think the belief is just there when it comes around to grass court, which would be great to get it all year round, because there is no reason why we can't play on other surfaces as well.

But, yeah, it's a good question.

Q. When did you first play on grass?

JODIE BURRAGE: You mean like ever or this year?

Q. Ever, yeah.

JODIE BURRAGE: I think, I mean, when I was maybe nine or ten, I did like a middle Saturday at Wimbledon. I think that was the first time I had ever played on grass, and that's when I really, like, playing at Wimbledon, actually being there, being on the court, you know, it was incredible and that made me want to play there.

But yeah, I can't really remember the first time. I want to say maybe in juniors, like 14? So, yeah, it's not like we grow up on the surface.

Q. How did you feel about your performance today and coming back from a set down?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I really want to get going earlier in matches so I don't have to keep coming back from a set down. You know, I keep fighting, keep putting myself out there.

That's what got me through today. My mentality got me through today. As I said, the conditions were not easy. Very windy, and actually the sun went as well so it was quite cold. So it was quite slow, and, yeah, just not easy.

But I'm very happy to get through, because, you know, in my career in the last few years I have lost a lot of those matches because I mentally have not been good enough. So very happy that I was today.