BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 10, 2023

Marketa Vondrousova

Team Czechia

Press Conference

M. VONDROUSOVA/S. Kenin

6-1, 6-1

Team Czechia - 1

Team USA - 1

THE MODERATOR: Marketa, welcome. We will start with questions in English.

Q. Congrats on the win. Obviously the fate of the tie is going to be decided in the doubles. Here we have Czech Republic and United States, probably two powerhouses of this event. Do you feel like it's kind of too early to have this meeting, still in the group stages?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I mean, you know, we have a tough group, I think, like three years in a row. Yeah, I feel, like, you know, it's very tough for us, you know, to play them in a group. Also Swiss.

Yeah, but I feel like it's also we can see, you know, what matches we're gonna play and then try maybe a couple of choices. So I feel it's good for us, you know, to have those fights so early on. Yeah, if we want to win it here, we have to beat everyone.

Q. Were you surprised that you won the match as comfortably as you did?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah (smiling). I feel like, you know, the score maybe looks easy, but it wasn't that easy. You know, we had many, like, tough, tough games and everything. So I had to fight for almost, you know, every game. It wasn't that easy.

I mean, she's a great player and she's a great fighter. Yeah, she fought till the end. It wasn't that easy. Yeah.

Q. You're coming from a not-so-good period at the Finals. How can you change your mindset so quickly with another competition?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I mean, I have to play for my country, so that's a bit different. Yeah, coming from, you know, Cancun, it's kind of different. We have great courts here and everything, no rain, no wind. I feel better here (smiling). Yeah, I feel like it's better to come from Cancun to here than from here to Cancun.

Yeah, I felt good since the first practice. Yeah, we were thinking, you know, for me to play maybe on Tuesday too, but the jet lag was still there so I decided not to go. Yeah, today I felt good, the match was great, so I hope girls can keep up with the good tennis.

Q. Just touching on Cancun, what did you feel about the tournament, the organization, and obviously the weather? Did you talk to other players about it? Did it drive you crazy?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I mean, we talked a lot, you know, even before we started to play. Yeah, we were in touch almost every day.

I felt like we were, like, really disappointed, all of us, because it wasn't tennis. You know, we were struggling so much every match. I felt that it wasn't nice tennis also. Even for people, even for us.

Yeah, I felt, like, really disappointed when we came, and it was crazy courts, crazy wind, and I had to stop, like, five times in my match with Gauff. That was driving me crazy, too. I mean, that's tennis. But I felt like they shouldn't do it. You know, after the US Open they should know sooner. Maybe just check the weather, you know, in the places they gonna put it. So that's the first thing they should do.

Q. Following up on what you said, we saw the statement from almost every single one of you present during Cancun. Do you feel that there is actually more unity now in the locker room, that there have been conversations that you have the power to change things? Do you feel there are some things that are starting to shake it up, so to say?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, for sure, I feel like we know each other pretty well, all of us girls in top 10, top 15, so I feel like we are really united.

Yeah, I feel like we are strong, you know, we can maybe do something. Even communicate with the people, you know, WTA and everything. That's good to know that we can just stand up for each other.

Q. Do you take any consolation from the fact that nobody really pushed Iga there except you, probably? On another day and you win that first set, do you sort of think about that and go, My Finals could have been different? You talked about the rain, as well. Maybe that had an effect.

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I had three losses but it was against top 10. I feel like you shouldn't, you know, take it as hard maybe, because every match is different. I played great match with Gauff. I also won one game away from the win. You know, I just tried to take the positives from it even I didn't have many (smiling).

Yeah, when I came here, I felt great since the first practice, so everything, you know, changed here. I love being with the team and everything. That's very easy to feel good here.