Tennis News

WIMBLEDON, Great Britain – Over the weekend, World No.1 Serena Williams, French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and British No.1 Johanna Konta spoke to the media on the eve of Wimbledon and the vibe of each press conference captured their emotions as the third major is set to begin on Monday.

Serena looked like a woman who wanted nothing more than to stop talking and start playing. Muguruza still looked fresh and bubbly in the afterglow of her win in Paris. Kerber and Konta had a no-nonsense air about them and Kvitova seemed as curious as the inquisitive brigade of reporters as to how she’ll perform at her favorite Slam.

Here are the highlights from a busy weekend in the press room.

Serena Williams addressed the press on Sunday at her Champions’ press conference. Here’s how she’s been preparing for her title defense:

“I got here I think on Monday. So I’ve had a lot of time on the grass. In the States, usually I just hit on the hard court. But the grass has slowed down a lot. I mean, it’s a huge difference still, but it’s not like it was 10 years ago. I did the same preparation, and it seems to work for me.

Angelique Kerber says she can serve pain free now, which wasn’t the case at Roland Garros:

“I mean, the time after Paris, few days going home, having a lot of treatments for my shoulder and everything, that was good for me like mentally, physically, everything, to get this time, getting a little bit down. Right now I’m feeling good, so the shoulder is already much better. Yeah, no pain when I’m serving.”

Garbiñe Muguruza on whether she feels different at Wimbledon now that she is a Slam champion:

“I don’t feel different because I’m so convinced that not because winning French Open I’m going to come here and this is miracle and I’m going to win every match. I’ve been in the situation where you win a lot of matches, and then suddenly, you know, you lose. You’re like, Oh, I thought I was going to win. I don’t take anything for granted.

I’m going for the first match, like everyone else, from zero. And, yeah, not thinking about that.”

Serena on whether she feels any pressure at Wimbledon:

“Well, this year I don’t feel as much tension as I usually do. Well, there’s some years I haven’t felt any tension either. I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t feel any pressure or stress.”

Wimbledon is a special place for Petra Kvitova. She explains:

If you ask any other tennis player what they want to win it’s always Wimbledon. So it was the same with me when I was a kid. I didn’t really expect to win it twice already which is like the dream really came true. It’s really special. Wimbledon for me is a real historic place and you just feel it from the moment you just went to the area. It’s great feelings.

Johanna Konta was grilled about the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd as the No.1 Brit. She wasn’t biting:

Q. You say you don’t know what to expect from the fans, but you see what happens with Jamie and Andy. It’s going to step up an extra level. Do you have to prepare for that?
JOHANNA KONTA: Actually, I really don’t because I’ve never been in Andy’s or Tim’s shoes. I don’t know how they experience what they experience. For me, this will be a new thing. I’m looking forward to it. Equally, you know, I’m here to play my tennis, just really enjoy what I do.

Q. Does a big reaction push you forward or is it something you have to manage?
JOHANNA KONTA: I guess the less I think about it, the less of a thought process I need to go into it. I’m here to play, not to have a reaction or manage other people’s expectations. I’m here for me, so…

Kerber on her reaction after a disappointing first round exit from the French Open:

“Of course after few days, I was disappointed still. But, to be honest, I was not watching Paris from this moment. I was going home, I was taking my time off, because it was a lot in the last few months. I was trying to take these days just for myself, spending the time at home, then trying to be ready also mentally and physically with my shoulder to going on court, yeah, going there and giving again everything.

So I just saw a little bit the final, but that was it. I know from Paris, I just know that it was raining the whole week. This is what I know.”

Kvitova on who the favorite is to win the title:

It’s Serena. [laughs] Well definitely it is. Of course she is the biggest favorite and she has the best game to win it here.

Get ready for the spotlight, Garbiñe:

Q. I’m sure you’re used to sharing attention from the Spanish media when Rafa is at a tournament. Now that Rafa is not here, are you getting the sense that all the Spanish media is focused on you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I thought about that the other day when I saw that Rafa, you know, was not playing [Look of wide-eyed shock]. No, I’m just joking.

For sure, people are more looking at what I’m doing, will be more watching me. But I think that’s fine. It’s a good sign. I like it. I’ll try to do my best.

But I was so happy, finally this year, I’m like, I did better than Nadal in French Open. I’m like, This is so weird (laughing).

Kerber on her preparation:

Q. On a scale of 1 to 10, how prepared are you physically and mentally coming into Wimbledon?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: 1 to 10? Let’s say 11 (smiling). No, I’m really prepared. I did everything I could.

Serena on her favorite memory of watching Venus play at Wimbledon:

“Probably playing Lindsay Davenport in the final here. I think it was really an incredible match. I think she was down a match point or two. It was an insane match. It was three sets. It was a really, really good match.

“I just remember her being very happy, but very confident. I was more happy that she won. When someone you love wins, you are just so happy for them. Yeah, it was just a great experience, a wonderful experience.”

Konta is as level-headed a player as you’ll find on the tour, never allowing herself to get too high or too low. She was asked whether her Eastbourne run to the semifinals gave her more confidence at Wimbledon:

It would be hypocritical of me to say, Oh, yes, I feel more confident, because going into Australia, I’d actually lost two first rounds. I think it’s more about not so much the wins, but how you feel in the matches that you’ve played.

“I feel like I’ve had some really good matches against some really good players. Whether I’ve won some, lost some, also having time on the grass, I feel very lucky to have had that.”

Kvitova on the effect of Serena losing the last two Slam finals:

I don’t think that it’s, like, the biggest problem on the tour [laughs]. I just think that she will find the way she’s gonna win another final someday. It’s just how it is. I think that if someone is playing Serena in a final they feel like they don’t really have something to lose. Serena is always the favorite and I think it’s a little bit more relaxed from the opponent.

Muguruza was wearing a Spain jersey as she did her pre-tournament press:

“I mean, in Spain, if you don’t follow football, you’re dead. You don’t have conversation.”

Konta on whether her reaction to Hungary advancing to the quarterfinals of the European Championships.

“Mom probably couldn’t give two hoots. But dad was very excited. I’m happy that my dad’s excited. I think that’s the best way to describe football at home (smiling).”

Kvitova on whether she feels the bullseye on her back at Wimbledon:

I think it’s tough because of course for me I should be kind of confident on the grass which I am to play on the grass I know how well I can play on it. But I think the other girls want to play a little better and they want to beat me especially here because they know what happened here. But you can look at it from both sides. But I think the opponents are playing less with pressure.

Kerber on her confidence level on grass:

“I like to play on grass. I mean, it’s always nice to have a few tournaments on grass of the year. It’s always something different. On grass, the rallies are not so long as on clay and also on hard.

I like to have the short rallies, or, like, also to going for it. What is really important on grass is the serve and the return. That’s the two shots, they are really important. This is what I like. I don’t dislike grass, so it’s always good on grass for me.”

Kvitova on her best performances at Wimbledon:

I have probably two. When I beat Venus in 2014 in the third round which I felt that she was better player on the court in the first two sets and I was able somehow to win it. And then definitely in the final against Bouchard.

Kerber on what it’s like to sit next to her on the couch while watching football:

“I’m jumping, screaming. Sometimes I’m quiet as well. So it’s everything. A lot of emotions in these 90 minutes.”

Muguruza on playing mixed doubles with Rafael Nadal at the Rio Olympics:

“I never played mixed. I think he told me he never played mixed. I think last minute, in case we play, I don’t know, it’s going to be like, Well, Rafa, what do you do? I don’t know. You? I think it’s going to be very like that.”

Serena and Venus are playing doubles at Wimbledon and they’re already practicing for a medal bid at the Rio Olympics.

“We’re doing a little preparation. We’re practicing a little bit in doubles. Whenever I hit a return out in singles, I’m like, It counts for doubles, so it works out (smiling).”

Konta was asked for her thoughts on the “Brexit” vote that will see Britain leave the European Union:

“Obviously I’m aware of what happened during the referendum. But, yeah, in terms of my own opinions, I think they’re very much best discussed at the dinner table.”

Serena on the effect of the Brexit vote on prize money this year:

“Yeah, I mean, I’m not a citizen of here, but I think at this point the Euro, the pound and the dollar went down after that decision. It affected the economy I think in a whole. However, I think it’s too soon right now to see how long that effect will last, or if it won’t last long. It’s a very volatile economy right now. We’ll see what happens. I’m watching really closely, though.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

Ana Ivanovic stunned by Russian qualifier: The No.23 seed lost to No. 223 Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 7-5 in 70 minutes. Ivanovic told reporters after the match that she contemplated skipping Wimbledon due to wrist inflammation that got worse at the Mallorca Open.

“During the Mallorca tournament, it really got inflamed,” Ivanovic said. “Then I had couple of days off. It start to calm down a little bit. Every time I would start hitting, it would flare up. I felt like I could probably manage it. It’s tough on grass because ball really skids through. She was hitting very, very heavy. So, yeah, it was disappointing.

“For two weeks I struggled with my right wrist. It was very hard to accelerate on my forehand. I tried to do everything possible to be fit and recover and tape it and so on.”

Ivanovic will get an MRI on the wrist and does not plan to play a tournament until the Olympics.

Stosur and Lisicki set to clash: The two came through easily in their first round matches and will face off in the second round. Stosur leads the head-to-head 5-2 but she’s obviously wary of Lisicki’s ability to summon some magic at Wimbledon.

“I don’t know what she did actually in the grass court tournaments before this one, but she probably hasn’t had a fantastic year so far, but I’m sure when she walks through the gates here she probably feels like she’s No.1 in the world,” Stosur told reporters.

“You have to be aware of that and know she has a very big serve. She plays big and hits the ball hard. She absolutely plays aggressive. If she’s on that day, you have got to be really willing to fight fire with fire and go after it, and, yeah, not kind of feel like you’re going to get dictated to.

“Against someone like her with a game like she’s got, it’s very easy to feel under the pump and under pressure all the time if she’s playing well. You have to be aware of that and balance out the patience and consistency with your own aggression.”

Serena and Venus in 2020: The sisters have been peppered with questions about their doubles preparation for the Olympics. “We have to start looking at 2020,” Venus said with a laugh. “That would be impressive. If you think this year’s impressive, hold on. That would be a blessing if we did play.”

I’m not going to question it. Would you?

Madison matures: Madison Keys is in the midst of her most consistently high-level span of play in her career. She’s been solid since Fed Cup in April, and she rolled through her first round match against Laura Siegemund, winning 6-3, 6-1. There’s a sense of calm about her these days.

“I think in a lot of ways I have changed,” she said. “But I also think every 18 year old changes a lot from 18 to 21 to 25. So I think on and off the court, I have changed in a lot of ways. And I think just a big thing is experience wise, it’s still only my third full year, fourth full year on tour. Obviously there is plenty of experience that I can still have.

“But just feeling more comfortable and knowing what to expect and it becoming more of a routine has really helped me. I think the maturity level of being able to handle a lot of what’s thrown at me has been a big difference.”

Garbiñe Muguruza battles to get past Camila Giorgi: Absolutely no one wants to draw the dangerous Italian in the first round of any tournament, let along on the fast grass at Wimbledon. But the No.2 seed came through in three sets by, once again, not panicking. It was a confident win for Muguruza, who came in with just one grass match under her belt, a loss to Kirsten Flipkens in Mallorca.

“Sometimes you don’t win the most beautiful way,” she said. “You got to be there fighting and waiting for your chance, especially against a player that bangs the ball. Is a very tough opponent to begin the tournament.” She plays Jana Cepelova in the second round.

Third time’s a charm for Daria Kasatkina: Seeded in her Wimbledon debut, the 18-year-old earned her first win ever on grass with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Victoria Duval. “My third match on grass in all my life,” Kasatkina told WTA Insider. “The first was at Wimbledon 2012. It was so bad. Now I’m professional, I come on grass, I can say I like it.”

Primarily known as a clay-courter, Kasatkina said with a few minor adjustments she’s feeling comfortable on grass. “The first few practices were really, really terrible. Better not to see this,” she said laughing.

“Because I was trying to change my game because I thought it was totally different tennis. But my coach told me no, you don’t have to change so much. Just little bit adapt for grass tennis. Just go for the volley or something like this. And it’s a little bit more difficult to move. It’s a little bit slippery and you have to move like a cat. Soft steps. But we worked a lot in fitness for this, so I adapt to that.”

Kasatkina admits she was tired through much of the clay court swing but feels refreshed on the grass. “In Madrid I was finished because it was so complicated calendar,” she said. “America, Fed Cup, then immediately I go to clay court preparation. It was too much for me. After Roland Garros I had a few days off and I came to the grass more fresh.”

As for qualifying for the Russian Olympic Team, the young Russian is over the moon. “If last year somebody told me I would go to the Olympics I would tell him you are a crazy man.”

Maria Sakkari on the verge of the Top 100: Sakkari scored a good win over Zheng Saisai, winning 6-3, 6-2 for her first win at Wimbledon. In fact, the first time she ever played on grass was last week in qualies at Roehampton. “I never practiced on grass, I never played juniors on grass,” she told WTA Insider. “I just practiced twice before my first match. It’s fine. I like it. It’s different. But if you take care of your steps and your running and think about it more in the beginning then it’s fine.”

Asked whether her mother, who played on tour, gave her any advice about the grass, Sakkari said she kept it simple. “My mom never liked grass,” she said. “She played once or twice at Wimbledon. She told me not to try too many things. Don’t try to hit too hard. Just play tennis.”

Crawford earns her first Slam win: After a blistering start to the season, making the semifinals of the Brisbane International as a qualifier, Samantha Crawford finally earned her first main draw win at a Slam, beating Paula Kania, 7-5, 6-3 at Wimbledon. The win was especially sweet given Crawford had played just one match since breaking her hand in a fall at the Volvo Car Open in April. Crawford fractured the scaphoid bone in her right hand and was in a cast for six weeks, but was able to come back at the French Open last month.

“Before it happens it’s in the back of everyone’s mind,” Crawford said, when asked about getting her first Slam win. This was just her third match on grass ever. “This is my fifth Slam main draw. I was aware that I hadn’t won. I got a little nervous but I told myself to enjoy the moment being at Wimbledon.”

Questions that need to stop: I think it’s time to put a moratorium on asking players why they don’t have a pep in their step during press conferences.

Q. You seem quite down.
LAURA ROBSON: I seem quite down? Probably because I lost. It tends to do it.

Robson lost 6-2, 6-2 to Angelique Kerber, but will still be around Wimbledon for doubles with Ashleigh Barty. She will head to the US afterwards to play on the ITF Circuit to get her ranking up.

“For me, it’s a massive win to be here and not have any niggles for quite a few months now, apart from a very small one in Eastbourne,” she said. “I’ve worked very, very hard to be healthy, to be completely fit on court. It’s 100% a huge goal for me to finish the year in the same way. Yeah, it’s now about winning matches, as well.”

To Infinity, and Beyond: How’s this from Venus Williams:

Q. Looking back to 26, would you have thought that you would still be engaged at 36?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I still feel 26, so… You know, I don’t think anyone feels older. You have this infinity inside of you that feels like you could go forever. That’s how I feel on the court. As long as I’m halfway decent, can get my racquet on the ball, I think I can make something happen. So far so good.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.