HSBC CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 13, 2026

Donna Vekic

Queens Club

Press Conference

D. VEKIC/K. Boulter

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Your 6th final on grass and your 15th overall. You must be feeling delighted right now.

DONNA VEKIC: Yeah, really happy with the week so far, and another final on grass.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You were great this week. I just want to know, looking back at your grass court finals before, what do you think you can take from those, whether it's perspective or lessons, that you feel is going to help you tomorrow?

DONNA VEKIC: Yeah, I feel like I have a lot of experience on grass. Played so many tournaments. Did really well in the past, as well.

I just feel like, especially this week, with each match, I have just been improving so much, and hopefully I play a little bit better tomorrow, as well.

Overall, it's a really good week. I mean, obviously it would be great to win Queen's, but the big goal is Wimbledon.

Q. Final here tomorrow. Coming in as a Lucky Loser, what's the feeling, especially when you're not potentially mentally ready to come into a tournament, being outside of the draw? How do you sort of switch that on last minute?

DONNA VEKIC: I'm really grateful that I got another opportunity to play, because I was really excited for the first tournament on grass. Loved being back in London, but then I got sick that weekend, and I was really, really upset because then having to play two matches on Sunday as well, it was too much.

I knew I was the first Lucky Loser, but on Monday, I was feeling so bad, I was like, Please, I don't want anyone to pull out today. Then Tuesday I woke up and was feeling better, and I was, like, I feel it's coming today.

Yeah, then I was just really happy to be playing again, to be feeling better, and made the most out of it.

Q. Katie was very complimentary about the way you were striking the ball and the cleanness of your hitting. Is there a moment where it suddenly clicks, and is grass a surface where that can happen quite quickly?

DONNA VEKIC: I mean, like I said, it's really, with each match, I was playing better and better, serving better, hitting the groundstrokes better, returning better, moving better. And I think that's just with the time you spend, the more time you spend on grass, the better it is. Yeah.

Q. You have had some great wins over the Brits this week. What does it feel like when you step out on court and you know that it's going to be a challenge between the player and the crowd at the same time? Do you feel like it brings the best out of your game?

DONNA VEKIC: I think, yeah, the crowd is so polite here. Yeah, they're nice either way. But it's been great to see such an amazing crowd throughout the whole week, and they deserve to have some sun, as well. The weather has been atrocious, so finally we have some good weather (smiling).

Q. Switching topics a little bit, Croatia is playing England on Wednesday in the World Cup. What's your prediction for that match? If you can't choose Croatia to win the World Cup, who do you pick?

DONNA VEKIC: I'm picking France, but let's see. It's going to be interesting. I have a British coach now again, so yeah, I don't think we'll be together Wednesday night (smiling).

Q. Going back a bit, testing my memory, maybe not yours, was Kuala Lumpur your first-ever WTA title?

DONNA VEKIC: Yes.

Q. Did you come back from Love-5 in the second set?

DONNA VEKIC: No. Oh, no, I don't think so.

Q. 1-5?

DONNA VEKIC: I think I was 5-1 up in the third, and then she came back, and then it was the tiebreak.

Q. That's what happened. Okay. Because you were playing the Australian Open finalist, Cibulkova, right?

DONNA VEKIC: Yes.

Q. This is not really tennis-related, but would there be a new collection to celebrate your grass run so far with Dash?

DONNA VEKIC: Yeah, I think we'll have some fun pieces for Wimbledon. Yeah.

Q. With the return of Serena on the tour, for now in doubles, if you could choose any player from the history of tennis that is obviously retired so you can't say Serena, to play today, who would you choose and why?

DONNA VEKIC: Maybe Chrissie Evert.

Q. Why?

DONNA VEKIC: She's always been a bit of a mentor to me before -- I would love to see Pam Shriver, as well. That would be great (smiling).

Q. How would you like to be playing doubles with Shrive?

DONNA VEKIC: Oh, I would, but I don't think she'd like to be playing with me (smiling). She always says, Oh, I want to see you play more doubles. I'm, like, Yeah, maybe in another lifetime.

Q. Looking ahead to the final, will you stick with whatever you have been doing, or will it be a slight variation in your preparation for the final?

DONNA VEKIC: I mean, of course I try to adapt my game, depending on the opponent, but I think I'll definitely try to stick to my strengths and to make sure they're working.