ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2026

Anna Kalinskaya

Press Conference

A. KALINSKAYA/A. Potapova

6-4, 2-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Anna, congratulations. Your second Grand Slam quarterfinal and your first at Roland Garros. Just how proud are you of this achievement?

ANNA KALINSKAYA: Thank you. Yeah, I'm super proud, and I can't believe. The match was so long, so I'm still processing what's going on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. On court you kind of talked about how you didn't feel nervous during the match, despite that it was a roller coaster-type match. When in your career did you stop feeling nervous in matches, especially in those kind of stressful ones?

ANNA KALINSKAYA: No, I was definitely nervous. I meant like some moments when after losing my serve, at 5-All in the third set, being 40-Love up, and then I lost this game. I was kind of frustrated, because I really wanted to win that game and to be up in the score and have a little bit of advantage to finish the match.

When it didn't work, I was upset. But it was a very fast changeover, so I had to reset and continue to play. Definitely I was nervous probably until the last point.

Q. It's a great result for you, especially on the clay where here you haven't always had the best results. You've had some good results on clay before, but what do you think you've been able to unlock? Why do you think you've been able to make this run at a place that's always been a little bit difficult for you?

ANNA KALINSKAYA: Yeah, I think I just take this clay season very easy mentally. Like, I don't put too much pressure to do well. I guess it helps.

Of course, I practice all the same, and every year I feel more comfortable on clay with the experience, but I didn't have any expectations on clay for myself.

Q. When you spoke about the nerves, can you share the symptoms that your body experiences? Is it do you want to throw up? Do you feel heavy in the legs? Do your hands shake? Are there any kind of techniques, whether that's breathing or mindfulness or anything like that, that you use on and off the court to help you with those nerves that everyone understandably feels?

ANNA KALINSKAYA: I think it's different. It's not one particular thing. It can be heaviness in your legs or in your upper body or just full body. You can feel like kind of frozen, or you can have -- sometimes I can have problems with breathing.

So what I try to do is just to, like I said, reset and just to breathe and think about what I have to do to make a good shot.

Q. You were ahead in the third set and then behind and then in the tiebreaker you were behind. What was changing about the way you were playing, do you think, whether you were behind or whether she was coming back? Were there things you were doing or you weren't doing that were different in those situations, and maybe you wished you were doing something different given the way she came back and then moved ahead? Obviously you played how you wanted to at the end.

ANNA KALINSKAYA: The match was very physical. I felt like in third set I was up in the score 4-1. Then I saw she was a bit tired. At 4-1 I start to run out of energy to finish the match, and she was coming back, so that's why the score was up and down a lot.

She was playing very brave, and she had unbelievable good shots and good fighting, bringing so many balls back. Sometimes I was just not ready for another shot, because she was bringing so many balls back.

Q. You said you came into the tournament with zero expectation, or no expectations, no pressure on yourself. Now you're into the quarterfinals. Do you think you'll still be able to do that, or do you now change that mindset because you are in the quarterfinals?

ANNA KALINSKAYA: No, I'm just happy where I am. Thinking two weeks ago that I will be here, I wouldn't believe. I would probably laugh with my team.

Here I am, so I will try to enjoy and just do my best, and let's see what's going to happen.

Q. Would you say that's one of the craziest matches you've ever played?

ANNA KALINSKAYA: No, I will say Rome is still craziest. Like after saving nine match points, I don't think nothing can beat this.

Q. At a slam, though.

ANNA KALINSKAYA: Well, the Grand Slam, yes. I never played tiebreak until 10 in a Grand Slam, so for me it was very new. Of course, playing on the big court against my friend, it's something very special.