MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

August 2, 2024

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/E. Raducanu

4-6, 7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Paula, that was a battle out there today. Can you share your thoughts on the match.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, it was a really tough one. I was expecting already a battle. I know she's playing very well. She's been winning a lot of matches lately.

Yeah, was a tough one especially under the heat. But, yeah, happy with the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. This is your first semifinal of the year. What does the win and getting here mean to you?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, it means a lot, today especially because it was a tough one and it went my way. Lately it wasn't going my way. I really felt I needed a win like this.

I'm happy in the semifinals once again after a long time and a long stop for me. Yeah, I'm happy that lately I'm playing a lot of matches, I'm being competitive, and slowly getting back to the top.

Q. What are you most satisfied with today?

PAULA BADOSA: Especially the way I stayed in the moments I wasn't playing well. Maybe I was missing a bit. But I'm trying to add some stuff in my game, being a little bit more aggressive, going a little bit more for it. I think in the third set it worked pretty well.

I'm proud of that because maybe the matches I lost lately was because I didn't go for it. Today I did it and it worked. I think that was something that I had on my mind. Yeah, I'm proud of that.

Q. You had a good run in the spring. Do you feel you're inching closer to where you were when you were at your top?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, of course. After I came from my injury, I was feeling disaster, you know? I was feeling slow on court. I wasn't reading the game as well as when I left. I was missing shots.

Also I didn't have a lot of luck with draws because very soon I was playing very top players. I didn't have time to adapt and have matches under my belt.

I think it came a little bit since Rome, my body started to feel better. It responded. I was getting a little more fast, reacting a little bit better. I think that's the key of my game, when I feel good physically.

Since there, I think mentally I'm getting there, a little bit more confidence. Right now I think I'm playing pretty good matches against good players.

Yeah, I'm getting to that level.

Q. Specific to this match, in the third set, you were serving at 3-4. She had the three break points. How big was that?

PAULA BADOSA: Look, normally I'm a player that for me it's very complicated to stay point by point. I think too much. I'm very passionate and emotional sometimes.

In that moment I just like, Okay, Paula, just go point by point. You're serving well.

I was serving very well in the match. The conditions can help me with the serve. I just thought point by point. It worked really well.

After that I was playing really aggressive and I didn't let her get in the game. With that, I was proud. Especially when I was serving at 5-3, I think she played unbelievable. But then the return game was pretty good.

Q. We talk a lot about the heat. I'm curious about the heat rule timeout and getting that after the second set. How big is that? Do you just go off the court and look for ice, anything to help you get your body temperature down?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I mean, of course that helps because it was being very tough for both of us. A very physical match also.

In that case, well, I needed to change because it was so humid. My clothes was like 10 kilos more for me (smiling). I just changed and I came back. I didn't do anything else.

I relaxed a bit and chilled down because the second set, I was pretty tense, yeah.

Q. How much confidence do you get from not only the win but your body holding up so well after two hours on the court?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, it helps. I'm this kind of player that I'm not happy with quarterfinals, semifinals. It's something that I'm dealing with with my coach.

He's like, Be proud of your yourself. You're doing a great effort after all.

I'm like, No, until I don't do a big result, I'm not going to be happy.

But I'm trying. I'm trying to value every match. I think I have to do that after a year. It's my year of a comeback, so it's never easy.

But yeah, my body is responding pretty well. Today I'm very tired, I'm not going to lie. But with the heat and everything, let's see how I recover for tomorrow.

But for the moment my body is responding well. That's the positive part.