AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2025

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/M. Kostyuk

6-4, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Paula, congrats on the win. Just to begin with, what are your top-line thoughts on coming through against Marta?

PAULA BADOSA: It wasn't easy today, especially with the conditions. It was really windy. I was coming from the first two matches playing indoors, feeling very well and totally different conditions. I think today I came out, and yeah, it was tough to play.

But I think today especially was a mental battle. I'm happy I got the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just through the first week, how do you rate your level? Obviously the conditions were different in your different matches, but how are you feeling going into the second?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, I think first week my level the first two matches were high, very high. But I think especially mentally the three of them were even higher.

I wasn't coming with a lot of confidence, honestly, because of Brisbane and Adelaide. So I think I fought through that. It was tough the first days here, but yeah, I overcame the situation. So I'm really proud of that.

Q. The frosty handshake, I am wondering, is that disappointing for you when something like that happens?

PAULA BADOSA: No, it's just her. I think she has her own things going on with Ukraine, the war, and all these things that she's been very vocal. I'm not in that, honestly.

I think it was a bit that and maybe also that she lost a tough match, and also the conditions were tough for both of us. So I think it's a combination of everything, but I think I have nothing to do with that.

Q. Just on the mental side, you mentioned that, how did you kind of keep yourself positive during the ups and downs of that match?

PAULA BADOSA: I just tried to keep myself positive, even though that sometimes the things don't go as I wanted. I always try to fight no matter what because I know if I don't do that, I will regret it more after. So I always give my 100%. Even if the level isn't great, I just do that.

And that's what I think in that moment, just give what you have, give everything, and then you will have time to think about it and maybe to regret some things or not.

Q. Have you developed any tricks to...

PAULA BADOSA: Well, I try. I work a lot with my psychologist to stay in the moment. It's tough because sometimes the mind goes everywhere, but when I achieve that to stay in that moment, to play point after point, I think it's when my level increases. I'm trying to achieve that the whole match, but sometimes it's a little bit tough.

Q. I think the cameras caught you on the changeover obviously gesticulating with Stefanos. Was that about the wind? Was that the frustration with the wind?

PAULA BADOSA: Well, first of all, it wasn't with Stefanos. It was with my coach (laughing). No, but I get it because now I was before coming here, I was on social media, and everyone was, like, Paula and Stefanos. They like to create all that because, of course, it's going to get more views if they say Stefanos than if they say my coach.

I'm always interacting with my coach, honestly. He's the one that's there with me. Stefanos is just a support. It's emotional support. But he's been supporting me so, so much on that.

I was talking to them, especially to my coach, because it was very windy, and he was asking me maybe to do some things that I totally get it, but in that moment I couldn't do it as well, you know?

So yeah, it was a little bit the frustration of the wind. As you see, I don't like to play with wind. It was tough today on that thing, but I think mentally I accepted it in some moments, especially in the third set. That's why I think my level increased a bit there.

Q. You said obviously coming in maybe not with the highest amount of confidence because of the first two weeks, but now with these wins under your belt coming through it, do you feel like your season starts now? Is that kind of how the mind of Paula Badosa works?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, we'll forget the tournaments before. We start in Australian Open, yeah (laughing).

But yeah, I felt I needed matches. I'm always a player that I need matches to feel better to play my game. I think with these three matches, it helps.

Now really looking forward to the second week, and I know now the level will be even higher, better players. So I'm ready for the challenge.

Q. Given where you are talking about finding lots of matches, obviously the last few years have been challenging with some injury, and then in the last eight or nine months you've played quite a lot. When you get three or four matches into a tournament, how are you feeling physically? Are you still able to keep fresh, or is it just getting harder and harder to...

PAULA BADOSA: No, I feel good. I think on that I did a lot of work. For me sometimes what it worries me a bit is the back, but the back is responding, like, perfect.

The rest, my body, I work a lot the physical part. I'm all day at the gym. So on that my body is used to it. What happened second round is not normal in my case. I usually play more than two hours every match. So my body is used to that, and it's ready for what it brings me.