BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 14, 2024

Ana Bogdan

Team Romania

Press Conference

A. BOGDAN/N. Hibino

6-2, 6-4

Team Japan - 0

Team Romania - 1

THE MODERATOR: Hello, everyone. Let's start the press conference with English questions. Please raise your hand for questions.

Q. Congratulations, Ana. How would you assess your performance today? What were you most pleased with?

ANA BOGDAN: Hi. Well, first of all, I would just like to say thank you to all our supporters out there. It's incredible to live all those moments together with my team.

I'm really proud and happy for my performance today, proud in a way like how I managed my emotions and my feelings out there, because I started a bit tight and I finished a bit tight, but I'm very happy the way I managed all those moments.

Yeah, I'm very happy to bring the first point for my country.

Q. You obviously had an amazing experience in the qualifiers back in April. How motivated were you to make sure that that really counted by having a really great performance at these Finals?

ANA BOGDAN: Well, for sure what we lived out there in April was very, very big moment for us and something I have really dreamed of to qualify here, to play here in the World Cup with my team and to do that for our country.

But right now, we are focusing on every day, on each point, on each game, and we just want to give our best. You know, we just want to fight for every point and to give everything that we have for our country.

Q. I'm just wondering, the matchup with Nao Hibino, you've played her quite a few times and you've got a very good record. Were you surprised that she was chosen to face you? What is it about that matchup that you like so much?

ANA BOGDAN: Well, I think I cannot say I was surprised, but I was supposed to play the other player, and we found out in the morning that I'm going to play Nao.

We just changed the plan a little bit, but the main focus was on my attitude and on my mindset and everything that I was telling myself out there and our energy as a team.

I think what's most important here is the feeling of union and the feeling of being together and having a great energy together, because here, it's not only about myself, it's about the whole team and the whole country.

Every time I play for my country I have a different feeling. I just, I don't know, I just play with my heart. I'm really happy to be here and to live these moments together with my team.

Yeah, for me, it's a dream come true. I'm just grateful to live this experience right now (smiling).

Q. Going back to the fans, they are super passionate, it's clear. But I don't know if you know that in the Spanish social platforms they are exactly like that, not only in the stadium. Why do you think it's that? It's just natural passion or it's something else?

ANA BOGDAN: Well, yes, I think it's in our blood. It's the way we are. I think we just live out there with our hearts, and we live each moment to the highest form.

Yeah, I'm really grateful for everything that I'm experiencing every day, especially on the court. I think these moments last forever for an athlete, and yeah, it's just amazing to be able to play out there and to have those goose bumps from the beginning till the end. So I'm very grateful.