MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 28, 2022

Paula Badosa

Press Conference

P. BADOSA/V. Kudermetova

6-3, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I heard you saying you were nervous in the beginning, which is understandable, but given she's such a tricky opponent, how proud are you of how you managed to handle the nerves quickly? Because you didn't let it last at all. Can you talk a little bit about that.

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, I don't know if it was very tricky opponent, but the thing is that I think she's 10 or 11 at the race, so you can imagine how tough she is. She won a lot of top players, so she know how it is to win top players and to win me.

Yeah, it was a very tough one. She's aggressive. I knew I had to play my game, not to let her dominate a lot. So that's what I tried to do. I think at the beginning I was nervous, but then I finished playing in a very high level.

Q. Throughout the season you have talked about how the nerves and the pressure of playing as a top player is something you have been trying to manage. You seem to be managing it quite well. What have been the keys for you to, yeah, get these early wins, start your tournaments on a really positive note? What do you tell yourself as you ramp up?

PAULA BADOSA: Yeah, it's super tough. I think it's even tougher here because you really want to do well. You have pressure playing at home (smiling). So I'm really proud and happy at how I'm managing all these kind of emotions.

In that moment, I just try -- of course you have that battle in your head, but I try to focus on what I have to do every point, give me positive messages and fight. I try to keep it quite simple in that moment, because there is a lot of things that can go through your head.

So that's what I try to do. For the moment it's working well. (Smiling.)

Q. Simona has been someone who has been No. 1 for quite a long time when you were trying to break through. Can you talk a little bit about how you regard her? What would it mean for you to actually step on the court as maybe the favorite against her?

PAULA BADOSA: You think I'm the favorite there? Yeah? Okay, I will take it (smiling).

Yeah, it's going to be very tough. She won this tournament. She plays center court, she played so many times, so she knows this court very well.

But, yeah, it's going to be tough. I think she has a quite good clay court game. She won Roland Garros, what can I say?

But I think it's going to be interesting match, because it's going to be quite a clay court match very tactically, and I'm really looking forward to that. Of course she's a great champion. So maybe I'm the favorite or no, I will try to give my best, because for sure she will push me to the limits.

Q. On that, in terms of Simona, do you take pleasure or is it nerve-racking to test yourself against a player who has been very good on this surface? Kind of what is your mentality as you step on the court there?

PAULA BADOSA: I think my personality was it's always that it's a pleasure and it's a good test. I think these kind of matches give me -- I play high level. I try to give my best there and I like them.

I think it's a little bit similar when I played the Indian Wells final. In these kind of cases, I like these kind of matches. I know it's gonna be on center court, maybe late-night match.

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to these kind of matches, because I really like them and it's the matches that you work for, you know. I will try to give my best, and I hope people can enjoy because I will try to make a good match.