ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2022

Angelique Kerber

Press Conference

A. KERBER/M. Frech

2-6, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: You have been coming back quite a bit in these matches lately. What's the secret?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I think there is no secret. I just put everything I had today on court. I left my heart on court. I'm just happy that I won the match. It's of course a special one, because, yeah, I don't know when I won here the first round, few years ago. So it's of course really a special one to get through the first round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It was an incredible atmosphere out there. You were stoking it, as well, getting into it and amping up the fans. I'm curious, we don't always see that emotion from you on the court during a match. I'm curious, what was special about today, do you think?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, you know, I was quite into it, into the match with the fans, with the atmosphere. I mean, it was amazing.

You know, it starts from the first point. You know, to have the crowd like this here, it's, yeah, unbelievable. Especially in the third set, they pushed me through. You know, to have all the support as all the fans with you, celebrating every single ball, I think, you know, I was running for every single ball. Even, I don't know, I had nothing left anymore.

I was just trying as well to enjoying this, because it was such a great moment on court with the fans. Yeah, it was unbelievable.

Q. Talking on the match itself, I mean, how did you feel like you turned that around, saving the match points, the dropshot on one of those match points, a lot of courage to kind of pull things around? What did you change over the course of the match? What were you telling yourself?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, I think it was a completely different match. Also, different conditions than I had last week in Strasbourg. It was not so hot like there, and the balls are really heavy.

I was trying to finding my rhythm in the second set, because the first set I was not playing my best tennis. She played well. I think she played one of her best tennis as well in the last two sets, and third set. But I was just trying to believing in myself, taking the confidence that I get from Strasbourg.

I know that I can turn around matches with match points down, and I was just trying, you know, to playing point by point and running for every ball.

Q. As you have mentioned, Strasbourg, what did that title mean for you? And what does it do for you here in Paris just in terms of obviously the confidence but physically especially after today's effort how are you feeling for a two-week event?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: Let's see tomorrow how I feel. I don't know (smiling).

But for sure, I will do now as much recovery as I can do to be ready for my next match. Of course the title in Strasbourg means a lot. Winning a title on clay, it's something special, especially after the last few months. I mean, I had not the best draws the last few weeks, but I was always trying to staying in, working hard, and, yeah, trying to play every single match in Strasbourg.

I had tough battles out there, and, you know, I need matches, I need my confidence to play my best tennis.

Q. The fans. I'm curious, do you identify a moment, a match, or a time in your career where when you first kind of came onto the scene at the US Open and things like that, maybe people didn't know you and maybe you're playing on outer courts. Over time, you have become this fan favorite on the tour. We saw that on obviously the court today. Do you remember when or feel like you felt like when that began to shift?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think it was a process. I think, you know, I was always trying to, because I think I am very emotional on court, as well, I love emotions. And I try to push myself. When I push myself I play my best tennis. And I'm always trying to, you know, playing fair as well. I don't know. I think it came with the time, you know.

When you are, I don't know, 15, 16 years on tour, then I think the fans know you and I'm one of the oldest players here I think in the draw, so I think this is also, yeah, why the support is so much.