AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2024

Linda Noskova

Press Conference

L. NOSKOVA /I. Swiatek

3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Linda, I guess the first question is what is going through your mind right now after that match?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I'm just really kind of exhausted mentally and physically (smiling).

But I think it was an unbelievable match for me. Playing on such a court for a first time, playing with Iga for a second time, I really wanted to win this, so I'm just glad that I did it.

THE MODERATOR: Who would like the first question?

Q. Take us back 6 or 12 months, did you think anything like this would be possible in your life?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I mean, I know my game. I know that I have improved a lot in the last year and a half, year. I mean, I just believed my game tonight. I just really wanted this win because I didn't really come to that court with the thought of, like, I have nothing to lose. I took it very seriously. It was like a match as any other.

Q. When you talk about believing in your game, what did you know about what you could do with all the improvements you've made to your game to get this win, to beat Iga specifically?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Yeah, I mean, I just know that when I'm going to be aggressive, I can play with anyone. Obviously there will be matches when I will not play my best. But tonight, especially when I warmed up, I was feeling pretty good. Physically I was just fine.

I was coming there on court to have a great match, but to win it obviously.

Q. In the second set when you were facing break points, a lot of people would clamp up at that time. You seemed to swing harder. What was your mentality at that stage?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I mean, there was a lot of ups and downs on both of our serves, especially in the third. I just looked to keep going and believe that I can break her and then hold my serve.

There might have been some moments where I didn't really, like, push too much or I wasn't aggressive enough. That kind of backfired me, backfired at me. Then I just refocused on what I should do, so I did it.

Q. You just said that you have improved a lot in the past half year or year. Talk a little bit about more specifically what kind of aspects did you improve the most?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I think I wanted to work on my serve a lot. Obviously my game is to be aggressive almost all the time, especially at the right times. I just work on that daily just to improve the spots where I hit it.

Obviously when I have such a match like tonight and I'm playing good and I'm feeling good, a lot of points can go my way without even me realizing it, fully knowing if I had planned it or not.

I feel like practicing and improving on yourself daily is, like, the main goal for me.

Q. When you talk about the belief that you could get the win tonight, do you remember a specific moment or match in the last year and a half that made you believe your game can beat anybody when you play well?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I mean, a lot of times I have played, like, a top-10 player, it was let's say 100% of the time I have actually nothing to lose and I'm just going to go there and try to play my best and we'll see how it goes. A few times I have beaten a great player, but it was maybe like a fluke or something like that, let's say, especially in my head.

Actually, I didn't go on court with 1000% trust and belief I can win the match. I just played good that day and I it went my way.

I felt like tonight I was really actually a little stressed from the morning, which doesn't really happen to me much often. I knew that it means a lot to me, so yeah.

Q. In the final game, already two days ago we saw people have leads on Iga and not be able to hold their serve. Today you're down Love-30, she plays two great points to put you behind in that last game, is the hand shaking? How nervous were you in the final game?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Well, we had a few breaks in the third, so I knew that it's possible for her to break me again, then we play another at least two games.

I just took it as she played it good, she played it well. She started the game really good. I had to come up with a first serve mainly. When I did that, I kind of refocused and was like, Okay, let's play more and let's see how it goes the rest of the game.

She made, like, an unforced error. It was 30-All. I was like, Okay, let's focus on my serve. That's the main part again.

I was a little shaky, of course, but I think I handled it well.