ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2026

Belinda Bencic

Press Conference

B. BENCIC/C. McNally

6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Belinda, another strong performance here. The score might say it was an easy match, but obviously the different conditions quite tough here. How did you feel on court?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I felt good. I thought in the start it was a bit more tricky to kind of get into the rhythm. Yeah, also with my serving I felt not so great today, but I thought I kind of was experienced enough and maybe more smart today to win instead of playing, like, perfect tennis.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. For you and your game style and your comfort on the surface, do you prefer when maybe it's not this hot but it's a hot, dry day on clay outdoors versus if you wake up and you see it's going to be a little bit, you know, gloomier, a little bit cooler? What for you do you prefer to play on clay?

BELINDA BENCIC: For me, it's perfect. I love this right now (smiling).

Q. Because of the speed?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, because it's hot. The ball is flying more. I also like the heat. I don't like to play when it's, like, cold and wet and windy. I really like the conditions. Of course, I'm not playing like the guys four hours, four-and-a-half. I really feel for them. But in my hour, hour-and-a-half match, I feel for me it's very good when it's this hot. I also like the heat, and it's good for my tennis.

Q. Is there a shot that you see that your opponents hit, maybe not necessarily against you, but just generally even when you're watching matches that you see more these days in the women's game specifically compared to maybe five years ago or even longer, before that? Like a shot that you see has really either improved or existed more, I guess?

BELINDA BENCIC: I think the women are now trying as well to play more spin, to play more heavy. I feel like, you know, with the top players especially, you can feel, like, their ball is very powerful, but it's also heavier, it feels like it's going through more.

I feel like that's due to more spin and really just the women trying to kind of play really more like the men in this way, more physical and putting more of this.

Of course, it's not the same like the men, but I think we are trying to do that. Maybe serving faster, I would say.

Q. How did you feel today on the court? How do you feel these days here in Paris? And are you happy with the way you play? What's your aim in this tournament? Where can you go?

BELINDA BENCIC: I am happy I'm here, I'm in the third round. I think I, you know, won two matches, it's good. I'm feeling good when I'm practicing. I like the conditions. My aim is to win the next round (smiling).

Q. How do you explain third round is so far your best result in Paris? You said on the court that you like to be here. You had good result in juniors. So why so far you didn't achieve better?

BELINDA BENCIC: I just feel like, you know, I had some tough matches that I lost. I think it was 5-7 in third set with Fernandez, I think in 2021, '22? I'm not sure.

Yeah, it's just, you know, clay is not my best surface. I think I can play well on clay, but I just wasn't able to do it here.

Of course it's my aim to do my best result right now. I also had a lot of years where I was injured or not in my best form coming here into Paris, so I'm really happy that this year everything is fine.

Q. You mentioned 2022. I think that was your last trip to the third round here, and that was a really good clay season for you. I think Charleston was good that year. You have been solid this year. Would you say this is the best you have played on this surface since that season, given all you have gone through, the pregnancy, and being off for a while?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I think I didn't really play since that season on clay (smiling). No, I definitely feel like I'm the most comfortable with my movement this year somehow. I always worked on it a lot, but I feel like this year it's maybe clicked a little bit more in a way that I feel kind of comfortable moving and I'm not thinking about it so much.

In that regard, yes. Obviously with my tennis, I always feel good, but of course on clay I feel like I have to do the most adjustments. For example, on grass, I just go to the court and I play like I would play in my dream. You know, I don't have to adjust anything. It's just going.

Then on clay, you come and you have to, you know, change some things a little bit because of course the surface is different, the movement is a little bit different.

So, yeah, that's why.

Q. Is there a little extra motivation in your mind because you do have an opportunity to make the second week here, which you have done at all the other slams?

BELINDA BENCIC: I'm motivated every day. Doesn't matter if I have an opportunity or not. You know, every draw, it's tough, and it doesn't mean that if you play against a lower-ranked player you have a bigger opportunity or not. You always have the same chance.

You have to show up on the day that you play in your best form, and it doesn't matter against who you play or what is the ranking on the paper. It's not helping you in the match at all. So you have to show up and do your best, anyhow.

Q. You mentioned, like, the heavier balls that you're seeing more from the players, bigger serves. How different is it for you to compete with that? I think back to the era of Halep, Kerber, you know, the No. 1s were kind of more counterpunchers a little bit, where you had that kind of breakable power against them. Now it's just a little bit of a different type of power. How different is it for you tactically to play now compared to kind of how it was back in, you know, those days?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I mean, I did feel like that generation was really more about staying in the rally, not missing, you know, Halep, Kerber, Jankovic, Pennetta, all of them really playing the rallies, and, like, kind of outplaying your opponent a little bit, maybe more in a tactical way than in a power way.

Now I really feel like you drop the ball short and you're going to run for the next one, because everyone is stepping in, everyone is trying to play aggressive. There is no one really that knows that if I'm going to play defensive, I can win the match. Everyone is really going for it.

But, yeah, so I think that's the biggest difference, and I think everyone just needs to adapt. I think I have adapted well. I also have enough power to compete with these girls.

I just really think it's about the consistency, about the discipline that you have, you know, in your shot making and your thinking of which shot I'm going to play right now. Also about the serve.