US OPEN

August 24, 2024

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Barbora, welcome back to New York. Just talk us through how you're feeling ahead of your first match on Monday.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I'm happy to be here. I'm enjoying my time. I'm practicing. I'm feeling good on the court. I feel or I hope I'm improving with every practice. I'm adjusting to everything that is new here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. In terms of just a status update for you in terms of where you're feeling fitness-wise, tennis-wise, ahead of the tournament, how are you since you haven't played lead-ups before?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I feel good. I felt like I just needed to rest a little bit after Wimbledon, after Olympics. It was a very tough period with a lot of matches, a lot of changes of surfaces, a lot of obligations that came with the Wimbledon title.

So I took some days off, and then I started practicing. I mean, I arrived here, and I'm continuing with the practices. I'm looking very much to play on Monday.

Q. Interested in the element of the obligations that come with a great thing like winning a Grand Slam. Obviously this has happened to you before. What did you learn from the experience of winning the French Open title about sort of how to manage all the obligations that come with a big title?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, it's tough to compare, but definitely after French Open I didn't have that many obligations as I did right now after Wimbledon.

Yeah, I have seen many people also in Czech Republic. I had many interviews, some photo shooting, and some other things. I had to look out, I had to be wise with what and when and how I'm scheduling. And also I had the practices.

I enjoyed it, but on the other hand it took a lot of energy from me. I mean, I'm still trying to figure out how to, you know, get everything together and how to just find a good balance.

Q. You were just on court practicing, and I think you said that you started hitting tennis balls with a cutting board.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Yeah.

Q. I'm curious about that story and how long were you hitting with it before you switched to a racquet?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, to be honest, I don't really remember (smiling). But I think it was quite normal, like I mean I started with that. I think I started to try to hit the ball with it against the wall.

I mean, I don't know how long I was doing that. But, I mean, definitely it took some time. Then, I mean, after that I got, like, a regular like kids racquet. I think I got it, like, after my brother.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's how I started in Czech (smiling).

Q. How young were you? Was it something you saw someone else playing and you wanted to play and you were given the board to kind of mimic?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, the very first time I went to the tennis was when I was three, four years old. I was with my mom. We were accompanying my brother that was playing with his schoolmates. So that's something that's how I started.

My brother was playing on a clay court with his friends. My mom, she was sitting there and talking with other moms. Yeah, I mean, I guess I was quite active, so I got the board and the ball, and I went to the tennis wall.

Q. I just wonder, coming into this tournament, having won Wimbledon, do you feel in any way more relaxed because you have already achieved this amazing thing? I know you've got a big Grand Slam ahead of you, but does it feel different?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, right now I'm feeling relaxed. I think on Monday I'm not going to feel relaxed anymore.

But, I mean, definitely I feel much more calm than I did before because, I mean, the season wasn't going really well. I mean, I'm perfectionist, so I wanted to be better. I mean, before Wimbledon I had many doubts and things just weren't going my way.

I mean, right now after Wimbledon, I kind of like told myself just please never doubt yourself again, because there is, I mean, no reason to do that.

Yes, I feel I'm more relaxed after Wimbledon now.

Q. What's been the most fun about being the Wimbledon champion?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: It's a good question (smiling). Most fun. I would say dancing with Carlos (laughter.)

Q. What was that like?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Fun (smiling).

Q. How would you describe him as a dancer and you as a dancer?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I think we did quite well. I don't think none of us is quite a good dancer. I guess as he is Spanish he should be better than Czechs.

But yeah, I think I guess you saw the video? Did you see the video? No? It was on Twitter everywhere.

Q. I'll check it out.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Okay.

No, I think it was nice. I really enjoyed it. I like the traditions, and it's a big tradition of Wimbledon. So I'm happy that we danced together and that we enjoyed the evening.

Q. Coming into a Grand Slam tournament - or maybe any tournament - without having had preparation on the surface beforehand, how do you know or do you know sort of where your game is at or how you think you'll play? Do you think maybe in general, because of the weirdness of the unusual schedule this year, with the many shifts in surface, that maybe a lot of players might not know what to expect from themselves or from each other here?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I mean, I don't. As you said, I missed the leading tournaments. I mean, I don't really know where my level is, I mean, to be honest. But I'm working hard every day. I'm trying to play practice matches. I'm trying to practice. So I'm doing everything to be ready.

I mean, it's always the very first matches is the most difficult one. So, I mean, I'm just trying to focus on that one and just trying to prepare for that to be able to prepare for my best tennis on Monday.

Q. Obviously Wimbledon and the US Open have very different atmospheres and crowds. Is there a way that you try to adjust to what New York and the Open will be like or are there other ways for preparing for the difference of the two other than, like, the court difference and stuff?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, yeah, Wimbledon is quiet. Obviously the fans are different. It's just definitely a different tournament than here with all the conditions.

But then on the other hand, I like US Open. I always did. I mean, I like the fans. I mean, they can be wild. Sometimes it's good; sometimes it's bad. Especially, I mean, if I'm winning, it's good. If I'm losing, it's not that good.

But, I mean, I like it. I like the energy, the atmosphere that they bring. I think it's great. I think they are doing a great show. I think it's giving us extra energy to perform better.

Q. I wanted to ask you your Q&A Twitter, on Twitter during Wimbledon, curious what the motivation was behind that. What was the favorite question that you received during that?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it was a rain delay. It's normal in London. So I had nothing to do. I was in my place where I was staying, which was like five minutes away from tennis. So I was just waiting for the rain to stop and to come back to tennis.

I mean, I decided it would be nice to have the fans, like, know a little bit more about me, because I feel that, I don't know, maybe I'm just not that extrovert. So I did it. I mean, I was surprised how many people asked me questions. It was very nice from them.

I mean, I tried to answer the best way I could. Yeah, I mean, I enjoyed this interaction with the fans on Twitter.

Q. Will it be back for the US Open?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: We will see (smiling).

Q. I actually had a similar question to Twitter. The way you use it, it's almost like you're a normal person as opposed to someone who is a well-known tennis player. Curious what you get out of those interactions without maybe taking the good without maybe the bad parts of social media. You seem to be using it very personally, I guess, is the best way to say.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Yeah, I think I don't understand the question.

Q. How do you get the good out of social media without maybe getting affected by maybe the bad stuff, people maybe saying bad things or...

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: It's always going to be like this. There is going to be people that's going to like me and say nice things about me, and there's going to be people that will not like me. I mean, it's normal.

I mean, you know, I can look at it in two ways: I can be super negative about it and I can be just unhappy, or I can be just positive and just maybe make a little bit more fun of it. I mean, that's something that I was trying to do. I mean, I don't know, I just like to interact with the people.