THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 11, 2024

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

B. KREJCIKOVA/E. Rybakina

3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Barbora, you're into the Wimbledon final. How are you feeling today?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I feel great. It's a very nice to listen to this (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, I'm feeling great. I'm super proud. I mean, it sounds great.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Did you find yourself reading Elena's serve placement much better from the second set onwards, or was it a matter of you changing your return position?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, it was difficult, but I was pretty much picking the side, just trying to guess, I mean, very much. She's serving very well.

I mean, from the toss, you cannot really see it. I was pretty much, I think, guessing. I'm happy that I was guessing right.

Q. Three years ago you got to your first slam final. In the time since then, what have you done to improve that you've learned and brought out today?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I feel I had to improve everything. I think I definitely got better on faster surfaces. I feel like I had to develop my game because everybody else is developing their game, too.

I mean, it's great that it looks like I made some progress, that I'm in another final.

Q. There were some key moments when it changed. When do you think you believed you could really turn the whole match?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, since the very beginning. I mean, since I think like at the beginning, she was just playing really well. She was just smashing the ball. Like, she was just putting a lot of winners.

But I felt that if I'm going to just stay in the game and if I will keep fighting and try to just stay there with her, that I'm going to get my chances.

Q. You changed something in the moment that you went more to the net or tried to do something different?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I felt that I had to maybe put a little bit more pressure on her just to change it. Yeah, I was just looking first for some options. I mean, one of the options that I have is to, yeah, serve and volley.

Q. 15 January 2018, first round of the qualifying, Barbora Krejcikova beat Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 6-2, something like that. Have you had any thoughts or memories about that match?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: No, I don't.

Q. Did you think Jasmine and you could reach a Wimbledon final?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, to be honest, I don't remember the match. It's been very long time ago. I mean, it's been, I mean, a great journey for both of us to reach the Wimbledon finals.

Q. You talked about Jana Novotna on court. She obviously was a favorite here. In 1993 she cried on court and then came back to win the title. Did she tell you about your Wimbledon experiences? If so, what did she tell you about those?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, we talked about it, I mean, about her matches here. But also, it's been some while since we talk about it, so I can't really tell you what it was about. But we definitely did. Yeah, I mean, I hope she would be proud.

Q. How would you describe the history of women's champions from your country and what it means to you?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I mean, we have a huge tennis history in Czech Republic at the Wimbledon, but also at any other majors. I mean, when I was growing up, I had a lot of players that I could look up to.

I mean, it's great that right now I'm also a slam champion and I'm in a finals of Wimbledon.

Q. Would you mind mentioning some of the players that you looked up to specifically?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, we had many players. There have been so many. Petra Kvitova playing, Safarova, playing. Hradecka, Bara Strycova. We had so many players. I mean, I grew up watching Fed Cup being in O2 Arena and Prague in Czech Republic, watching many finals. Everybody that was on the team was a player that I was kind of like looking up to.

After my juniors career, it was a lot about Jana because I had an opportunity to meet her and to spend time with her and see, like, how she behaves, who she is, how such a big champion she is.

Q. Last year you talked about how you felt you didn't have the recognition you deserved for the success you've already had. Has that at all been a motivation for you to gain the recognition, to keep on winning?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, to do well is definitely a motivation. Well, I don't know if this kind of a motivation is a good motivation. I think the results on the court are better motivation. To win the matches is something that I was focusing on.

Q. How different is it playing with the roof on and off? Did you prepare differently knowing today it was going to be off?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I played with Danielle under the roof. I played with Jelena without the roof. I had some experience. I knew what it's going to feel like.

I mean, like I think that the indoors -- I mean, I didn't mind. I like both of the scenarios. For me, I just go there and I play a match and try to play my best tennis to get the win.

Q. Does it change ever so slightly how you play?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: No. I don't know. No.

Q. Do you think the influence of doubles was important today to try to get to a championship in singles again?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I think it has definitely helped me throughout the years to have this many success in doubles and mixed doubles. Also, it definitely helps my singles game a lot.

Q. You did a fan Q&A on Twitter the other day. You said during rain delays, you build LEGO and sleep. What LEGO sets are you working on at the moment?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I have many of them actually. Yeah, I even received some from my team yesterday, last night (smiling).

I mean, I like to do a lot of the architecture. I did that one. I think I did some, like, Milky Way couple weeks ago. I'm a fan of Harry Potter, so I did a couple of Harry Potter. I did the Dobby one.

Q. Are you hoping for a Centre Court LEGO set at some point?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Is there one?

Q. Maybe.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: If there's one for me, I'll do it (laughter).

Q. Thinking about the final, have you had the opportunity to watch a little bit Jasmine Paolini in this tournament and in this year because from the end of the last season she's switched to become a different player? What are your thoughts about her game, and what do you expect for the final?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I mean, I expect a difficult match. I expect it's going to be a big match for both of us. I expect a lot of fighting from both sides. Yeah, I expect, I mean, very, very, very nice match.

Q. Did you watch some of her matches during this tournament?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Not really. Not really. Just little bit today before my match because I had to follow up the score. I mean, not really. I'm not really looking in front, like into the future. I had a match ahead of me, semifinals match, and I was focusing on that.

Q. This year when you've had your illnesses and injury problems, how hard was it to see a result like this? Although you're surprised, why do you feel it's happened now?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, during the season it was very difficult. I have had many difficult periods. I mean, I never really imagined that in, yeah, four weeks I could reach a Wimbledon final, that I can be a different player.

But I'm super happy that I am, that I was able to fight through everything, that I'm sitting here and chatting with you guys today (smiling).

Q. When Jasmine was up here, she said a lot has surprised her about herself, especially how calm she's been. What has surprised you about yourself in reaching the Wimbledon final?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I don't know if there is, like, something that's surprising me. I mean, before the tournament, I had a tough period. I just told myself that I will try to enjoy everything more. Yeah, that I kind of did a lot of good achievements already, that I just want to have more fun than being in more stress about tennis and about the performances.

In the end so far I think I was very, very successful in doing that. I'm definitely enjoying this moment much more than I did in Paris, which was more stressful for me.

Q. Why?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I don't know. It was just the very first time. I feel since then, since I won the title, it's been more relaxing.