UNITED CUP

December 28, 2022

Rafael Paciaroni

Thiago Monteiro

Beatriz Haddad Maia

Felipe Alves

Laura Pigossi

Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida

Carolina Alves

Rafael Matos

Luisa Stefani

Team Brazil

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Brazil team press conference. Each of you, we will start with the first question. Each of you please give an answer.

Welcome to Brisbane. How excited are you to play in the United Cup?

RAFAEL MATOS: I mean, it's a different kind of competition. Very excited to be here with all this team. We are all good friends, so really excited with this opportunity.

CAROLINA ALVES: Yeah, happy to be here, like Rafa said. We are good friends, know each other since we were kids. Playing this kind of competition together is really nice. We are all really well prepared and we are happy to be here enjoying the time and I'm sure we are ready to make a good week here.

FELIPE ALVES: I'm really happy to be here. This team is amazing. We have a really good energy, and I think everybody is prepared to play this tournament here in Brisbane, amazing atmosphere. I'm really happy to be here, representing our country. We will try to do our best.

LUISA STEFANI: Yeah, I think team competitions are my favorite part of the year. It's really special to be here with this team. Like they said, we are all close friends and having a good time off court. It's really cool to represent Brazil right off the bat at the end of the year and beginning of next year, to get things started for 2023. So, yeah, very happy.

MATHEUS PUCINELLI de ALMEIDA: So it's an honor to be here with the team and to play a competition this high level for me. I think we have a good team to go in the tournament, and, yeah, with good people, is nice to be here.

LAURA PIGOSSI: Hi. It's a pleasure to be here. I really love team competitions, it's a great opportunity. I know everyone since we are kids. And, yeah, just hope it's a really good week, and we can have fun and enjoy our time here in Brisbane.

THIAGO MONTEIRO: Yeah, I'm looking forward to start the season, especially in this competition, which is very exciting to be here sharing the competition with these guys, and just a little bit early to start the year. We had to spend Christmas on the plane but it's for a good cause. Just excited to be playing.

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: I'm very happy also to be here, to be part of this team. It's a different competition that we can also share experience and learn with each other. I think everybody worked very hard during the preseason to be ready for the matches, and we all tried to enjoy every single day, every single match, and have fun also on the court.

CAPTAIN PACIARONI: For me it's an honor especially to be the Brazilian captain of such a powerful and young team. Congratulations to Tennis Australia, ATP, and WTA for reunited everyone for this kind of tournament. Looking forward to have such a good week.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Beatriz, your season in 2022 was probably one of the big stories, your rise from I think 88 to top 15, and your ranking helped qualify this team for this competition. What does that mean to you? Now that you think it's the new year but thinking back on '22, what was the secret to your success and how did that feel?

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA: Yeah, I think 2022 was a very special year, for sure. I had a lot of tough moments that me and my team we were working very hard, and I think that was the key, because we gave 100% every single day. We were trying to create opportunities and working better every week. I'm very proud not only of me but of my team.

And, yeah, I think, yeah, the United Cup, it's a new opportunity for everybody. I was very proud also that I could bring everybody to come, but I think like it's a competition that gives me more inspiration, more motivation, because we are sharing with other players.

Yeah, it means a lot also to start this year with that, I don't know...

Q. For Rafael and Luisa, obviously doubles, it has a big spotlight at this event. How exciting is that not only playing for your country but it all could come down to such a big match in doubles?

LUISA STEFANI: Yeah, I think it's amazing. I love doubles. I know how special it is. I think these kinds of competitions can bring the light to doubles that we need to bring more attention to the game.

It's fun it will be the last match, and I think it will be fun to have more players and players from different countries playing together, mixed. I think this is all what it is about, you know, like uniting everybody, female and male players, so it's really exciting to be part of this, and playing with whoever it is. I think it will be such a great atmosphere and a great thing for doubles for now and in the long run as well. Really excited to be part of this moment.

RAFAEL MATOS: It will be the first time that I will play with Luisa, and I don't know if I will play, but a pleasure to be in the deciding point and just good to be exciting (smiling).

Q. Luisa and Laura, you talked about doubles and you love playing in the team competitions. Your Olympic medal in Tokyo was a huge moment for your country, particularly the way you won. I'm assuming you enjoy the Olympic team atmosphere. How does it compare playing in the United Cup? It's the team of competition but it's different.

LAURA PIGOSSI: Yeah, I think the Olympics was very special for us. For me, it was the best week of my life, for sure.

Yeah, I think I have learned a lot after that, just like to dream big and that anything is possible. Yeah, and I really like team competition. It's just a bit different because, I don't know, there I was playing doubles. This time I'm playing singles. But it's really nice to have this type of atmosphere, having the team together, yeah, and I think it's going to be kind of the same, same energy.

So, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it.

LUISA STEFANI: Yeah, I think this is the first time I will play an event like this, so after, I think I will have more to compare it to. But I think Olympics brings a lot of bringing everybody together in the country and cheering for one. Now we will all be on court. I think that's the main difference. We will be maybe more involved in the match, whereas in the Olympics, you're playing, it's not a normal match because it's Olympics, but it's more of a normal way of playing.

I think it's exciting to share with the team. The team environment makes the whole difference, and it's what makes this week so special throughout the year since we don't play together as often.

Just because it's a new event, I think it will be very exciting and different for us players to figure out along the way as the week goes as well as the fans and the entertainment. I think it's a big week, and I think it will be special just as Olympics was.

Q. There has been no tennis in Brisbane for I think three years. Has anyone on this team played here in Brisbane before? No one? Maybe Thiago, what do you think of Brisbane, the facilities, the city? Have you had much time to explore or feel the culture?

THIAGO MONTEIRO: I really love to play in Australia but it's my first time here in Brisbane. The stadium is huge. The facility is really, really nice. And I think we are enjoying. I still didn't have much time to explore the city. It was holidays like the past two days, so some place were closed.

Yeah, just want to try to explore the city, try to enjoy my time here and also with the team. And, yeah, every city in Australia that I have been it's been great. I love the country, I love the people, and it's gonna be like a really great week for us.