THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 16, 2023

Barbora Strycova

Su-Wei Hsieh

Press Conference

STRYCOVA-HSIEH/Hunter-Mertens

7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Barbora and Su-Wei, how does it feel to be Wimbledon champions again?

BARBORA STRYCOVA: It's crazy. Actually, I don't believe it still, but it's real, right (smiling)? It was a dream of mine. We were playing here last time 2019, four years ago, and since then we were not here. It's a great fairy tale because it's my last Wimbledon playing ever, so I couldn't ask for a better finish.

I am so, so, so, so happy.

THE MODERATOR: Would you like to say something?

BARBORA STRYCOVA: How do you feel we won?

SU-WEI HSIEH: Not expecting, but nothing could be better than this.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Does it feel like fate in a way? Obviously you retired, came back after having a child, Su-Wei was away for 18 months, you come back and win Wimbledon together?

BARBORA STRYCOVA: That's why it's even more special than 2019. I mean, both trophies are special. There is always story behind. This is stronger. I gave birth to a son. Like I said, we were not playing for such a long time.

Last year I texted Su-Wei, Let's try to play Wimbledon 2023 just to come back and feel the atmosphere. There is no COVID anymore.

She was like, Yeah, let's do that. Let's just have fun.

Here we are with the trophy. It's crazy. It's really crazy.

Q. Barbora, yesterday Marketa won the singles. She told us that you gave her some advices before the tournament, beginning of the tournament.

BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, I don't know if it was advices. I mean, we were sharing the same locker room and we were sharing kind of like lockers next to each other.

I think what really drive her was that my son draw - he can't draw, but he painted something for her, and she kept it in her bag. She was always telling me, It's because of this picture.

It was luck, I think. We were kind of having a great vibe together in the locker. I don't think it was any advices, it was just like she was feeling great.

Q. What kind of painting?

BARBORA STRYCOVA: He's one and a half years old, he can't really hold the pen. It was some kind of paper. He gave it to her during lunch. She kept it in bag. The mind was like, Yeah, that's my luck.

Q. Su-Wei, what did you do during your time away?

SU-WEI HSIEH: What I do?

Q. When you were away from the sport.

SU-WEI HSIEH: I mostly stay home. As I said in Madrid, I do some plants. It's a lot. I have a lot of little green plant at home right now. Tomorrow I can go home and change bigger pots. I'm excited to.

Q. Barbora, you said you wanted to have a fire before the tournament. Once you started playing, you can find a fire inside of you. When did you feel that athlete instinct inside of you?

BARBORA STRYCOVA: Every time I step on the court and every time we start to play the first point. Of course, you say you want to have fun. Having fun means kind of like you don't care, yeah, you just play. But from the first game of the tournament and first match, we were on. I knew that we can go far.

I wanted to kind of kept the fun there, but also the focus in our game, which Su-Wei helped me all the time. She won French Open, now she wins Wimbledon. She's amazing. It's great to have a partner like Su-Wei because sometimes when you are little bit down, she brings you up.

Yeah, we have fun, but we also compete very well. I say today we were always there. Even though we were 4-1 down, then it was 4-All, we were always in our minds very strong.

Q. What was it like getting back into tennis after giving birth?

BARBORA STRYCOVA: Well, I have to say it's been difficult little bit because my son is not really good sleeper. He doesn't really sleep. I'm missing the sleep. I was very tired.

But my family helped me a lot. My mom helped me a lot to kind of organize some training and some fitness training. I was just practicing like three times a week. When I was practicing, I really use the time.

It was great and it was how it should be, I guess. I kind of really didn't want to miss out on my son. It's challenging, I have to say, but it's doable.

Q. Su-Wei, you won two Grand Slams in a row. What were your expectations when you were coming back? How does that feel?

SU-WEI HSIEH: I didn't expect too much. I think that helps a lot. Sometime when you don't think too much, you know my game, I like to use the freedom on court. I'm, like, freestyle player. I set my plan very clear, clean. I do it. I enjoy. All the different plan, I try to work out plan to where I go, where they go. Really works well.

I'm happy that all the girl, Barbora, my other partner, they help me a lot on the court, we're doing such amazing job.