BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 10, 2023

Rebeka Masarova

Team Spain

Press Conference

R. MASAROVA/K. Kawa

2-6, 6-3, 6-2

Team Poland - 0

Team Spain - 1

THE MODERATOR: We will start with English questions.

Q. Congratulations on the win. You really turned it around, that match. Can you talk us through how you did that and how you made the result go your way in the end?

REBEKA MASAROVA: Yeah, thanks. Yeah, it was not easy, especially because I started not very good. Similar to the last match I played. My opponent was also playing pretty good.

Yeah, I was just trying to focus on my game and keep trying to do what I have to do and also waiting a bit for the other to give me some mistakes. Eventually that happened.

Yeah, I'm happy it was that way. And also, you know, the crowd really carried me. It was really an amazing atmosphere out there.

Q. I wonder, how do you prepare for a match like that when you know that the team can't go through to the weekend, but I guess you're doing it for national pride, for ranking points, as well. How do you motivate yourself, I guess, in today's match?

REBEKA MASAROVA: Sorry, I didn't quite understand.

Q. How did you kind of motivate yourself in the match, knowing when you went into it that Spain weren't in a position to pull through? Did you have to find a different kind of motivation to take onto the court?

REBEKA MASAROVA: Yeah. I mean, that's obviously, you know, we knew we're not going to be able to qualify anymore, but still, the motivation is still there for me. It's only the second time playing singles. I was really trying also to get different sensations from my last match and trying to turn that around a bit.

Yeah, we also said for us, for the team, we're going to try and get every point there. Doesn't matter if we don't have any chances to qualify anymore, but we're still going out there and fight for every point, because that's just how we are. Doesn't matter the result. We're still going for every point.

Yeah, that's a bit the mentality that we had today. Yeah, I'm happy. For me it was also, yeah, my first matches, so it was a lot of motivation, and also playing in front of the home crowd, yeah.

Q. I'd like to know about the mental challenge that you had today. Obviously you lost your first match the other day, unfortunately, and then you're down today. It must have felt pretty difficult to get out of that hole. Secondly, what's the captain sort of saying to you in this moment? And does it help?

REBEKA MASAROVA: Yeah, I was really not feeling good with my tennis, especially, yeah, I was feeling a bit anxious, because, you know, I also couldn't really prepare for my opponent. Like, I was preparing for someone else, and then last moment they told me, Okay, you're playing this player. I didn't really know a lot about her.

Yeah, me being the higher-ranked player, obviously the pressure is a bit more on me. But, yeah, it was not easy but the challenge was also, you know, trying to enjoy, because I'm playing in front of the home crowd. That was really, really nice and special for me.

When I was in the first set, not playing that good, Anabel was just trying to keep my calm and telling me to focus on my game and wait for the right moment and keep trying to do my game, which is being more aggressive, yeah.

Q. On a personal level, like you say, it's your first couple of times playing singles. How important was it for you to take this positive note, to finish on a positive note in your matches?

REBEKA MASAROVA: Yeah, it was important for me obviously to fight every point, and for me it was also really good that I turned it around. I showed myself that even in tough situations like that, not feeling good, I can still turn it around and end up playing better tennis.

So, yeah, I'm happy with that.