AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2025

Belinda Bencic

Press Conference

B. BENCIC/J. Ostapenko

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Belinda, well done on your result today. A tough match for you. Talk about your thoughts on the match.

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, really tough match. Really happy it was enough for the win. Yeah, it's always tricky to play Jelena. I just tried to be consistent. Yeah, just happy I managed to win.

THE MODERATOR: Who would like the first question?

Q. Tough to play your first Grand Slam match coming back, it be Jelena. Can you talk about what the keys were and what your reaction was when you saw the draw?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, obviously I think it was pretty neutral when I saw the draw because obviously I know these kind of matches is what I need to get back. Also it's, like, a good test for me. Yeah, I like to play good players.

Yeah, in today's match, I mean, I felt okay. I think it's tricky to play her. Sometimes it feels like a little bit of Russian roulette (smiling). Sometimes you're a spectator on your own court.

Yeah, I tried to stay consistent, stay tough in important moments. Glad that it was enough today. Obviously very happy with the win and with the chance to play another round.

Q. Obviously beating these kind of players, top 20, top 15 for the first time, is it something that is proving to you that you're on the right path, makes you think you did all the things very well?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I know that regardless I definitely know how hard I worked to play here. It was not easy and just like that. Definitely it was a challenge. Yeah, I definitely knew that.

Of course, it gives you a good motivation that you see that you can play an even match against these kind of players and also win. Even last week in Adelaide, I think I played really good, coming through quallies. Losing eventually to Samsonova in three sets. It helps me and gives me confidence.

I felt like today the feedback sometimes... Yeah, you never know if she's going to hit a winner or miss. Yeah, you never know.

Definitely results-wise I'm happy how it's going. Step by step I feel better also in practice every day. Obviously you need the results to back it up.

Happy with how the comeback is going so far.

Q. How special is it to win your first Grand Slam victory after coming back from maternity leave? Do you have extra motivation now as a mother on tour?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I don't know if it's extra motivation. I feel like I always have motivation to play. I do this obviously for myself. I think it gives me more kind of, like, relaxed mode because I think I always want to do my best.

Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself. Now I feel like it's a bit easier to play because, yeah, there's something more important than tennis.

Q. 10 years now since your big breakthrough as a teenager. How things have changed on the tour in that time. We see fewer teenagers arriving at that point. Do you think the tour is more physical now, if that's harder for young players?

BELINDA BENCIC: I don't really know what it is. I think everyone has their own timing a little bit. I think the tour used to be very young, but then players would retire much earlier. I feel like careers are definitely prolonged now.

For sure it's maybe more tougher because you feel like the players are really getting consistent, like playing each week. I think it's very physical. You have to be physically very prepared to kind of consistently win.

Obviously you see a couple of young players playing well. I just feel like also the whole hype and the pressure from the media is also maybe giving an impact on younger players. Now with the social media and everything that's going on, I think it's more visible.

Maybe before I thought it was more normal, like teenagers were winning slams. It was a very normal thing. Yeah, I think it has multiple aspects.

Q. What is it like to face a player on tour that you've played since you were almost kids, 10 or 11? Is it different than playing anybody else? How do you see that matchup?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I don't really think it's different because when I'm on the court, I don't try to be very personal with the player, and then kind of block it out and see the player.

Obviously, yeah, I mean, we know each other very well from the juniors. It's not like we are very talking a lot. Definitely you want to do the best. We're both '97. I feel in juniors you always look at your age category. Oh, we're '97, I need to do better than her.

Yeah, maybe it's like this extra motivation of just someone being your age. But I think at this point no one cares anymore because we're both old (smiling).