Roland Garros

Friday, 3 June 2022

Paris, France

Caroline Garcia

Kristina Mladenovic

Press Conference


GARCIA-MLADENOVIC/Kichenok-Ostapenko

2-6, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Six years later you're in the final of this Grand Slam again having won the title back then. So tell us you're feelings, how happy you are, and what you expect in your next, in the final.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yeah, I mean, definitely very, very happy. You know, it's a long way to the final. In slams you never know what can happen. It's full matches and everything, so a lot can change.

I think today we fought very well and we learned from the first set and really tried to change things in the second and the third. We put everything we had and we tried to play better and better and we did very good in the tight moments in the beginning of the third set.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, well, I'm not going to repeat what she said because it's really true. I'll try to say something else.

But, like you said, it's six years later. You know, we said it before, our games really match really well, and we haven't played much, as much as we wanted this year, actually. It's our second tournament. We had, like, tough opponent, tough draw in Australia and here, like she said, every match is tough. It's a very long way to get to the final, to the end of slams, and that's how we worked to our tournament together.

We had tough matches, tough situation in each of them, and we really stayed composed and together all the way through all of them. I think it's our biggest strength, and we've been enjoying it as well very much.

So it's a job well done and we are looking forward to the last step, which is the most difficult one, but definitely exciting.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You did so well to take that second set before the rain delay. How difficult was it to come back out and keep that momentum?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I don't think it was very difficult, actually, because we were doing some stuff differently in the second set and, actually, yeah, I think it was important to finish winning the second set just before the rain. It was very positive for us.

We know, like, when we came back we had a plan pretty clear of what was working and what was not. We wanted to go for it right away. It was, like, a good timeout and then just, like, refresh and go for it on every point.

Q. Sounds a bit basic, but what did you do in the rain delay?

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Well, like she said, I think the most important for us was really to close out the second, and then we didn't really mind to stop because it was time to stop, obviously. It was raining. We didn't freak out too much about this sort of thing, to lose the momentum, because we were the one winning.

But we've been waiting on the bench just for the update to see if we go back or if we go to the locker room. We, during this time, we actually talked together, then our team joined us, and we kind of made a briefing of things that were working well and to have a clear plan.

I think we actually had a really good time all together, like as a team. We changed a lot. So it was really good. And then we were actually very relaxed and just lying in the little living room there under Lenglen and just watching Rafa and Sascha starting the match. So, yeah, we managed it well, I think.

Q. Coco Gauff and Pegula in the final. What do you make of that matchup? How impressive is it that Coco has got to the final in singles and doubles?

CAROLINE GARCIA: It's actually pretty normal now in French Open. It's pretty regular.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Krejcíková.

CAROLINE GARCIA: It's nice for women's tennis.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, it's good.

CAROLINE GARCIA: It's obviously a big match. They played very solid today and through all the tournament, and they already had good result separately in slams or in other tournaments, so they have experience.

I think it's a good match for us and we have obviously nothing to lose and just enjoy this match and try to do the best we can. It's going to be a big match. They have big weapon, both of them. So really looking forward to it.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yes, same. I mean, about Coco, of course it's impressive that, to be in both finals, especially at her age.

And about their team, they obviously are a very good team and it's a very nice matchup on the paper, I guess, for the people, for the crowd. We are the home player, let's say it like this, as a French team, and such great singles players as well.

And, yeah, we joked around that it's, on Sunday morning it's going to be, like, French against USA. So it's also nice to have two players from same country.

So it's a nice matchup. It's a Grand Slam final, which makes it even more exciting. We're going to, yeah, just rest, prepare, and give our best to go all the way.

Q. You've mentioned 2016 in the first answer, but could you just compare those runs, how maybe, does it feel any different this time?

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Do you even remember the matches we had in 2016? (Laughing.)

CAROLINE GARCIA: I remember the final.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, me too.

CAROLINE GARCIA: I was getting killed at the net by the Russian. That, I remember.

But I think it's nothing comparable. I think it's completely another story. It's a different tournament and obviously we took the experience as a positive energy we had from the 2016. And Kristina made a few other finals in slams, so it's more experience for us.

Outside of that, for me, it's like completely different final. And, I mean, the fact that I'm looking forward to it, it's like, it looks like it's been ages, actually. So it's like completely new experience and I really want to step on court on Sunday and play the best.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. I would like to know, according to you, it's been six years now since your last final. What has changed between the two of you apart from getting older?

CAROLINE GARCIA: I don't know. Not much has changed. We grew up. We gained in experience. We managed to think things over and to know how to fine tune our game when things do not settle in the way we want and do not turn into our favor. We manage to play one match at a time. We managed to have a little bit more distance than in 2016.

We were much more in our doubles career as well as our first final. So I think it's a bit more different, let's say. Well, at least as far as I'm concerned, I really enjoy every moment.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: It's difficult to add something after that. Maybe I will build-up on the detachment and experience.

I find us quite calm. We had difficult and tricky situations, even today, against opponents who played very aggressively, and we were able to stay calm, to discuss, to assess the situation, talk to each other, continue fighting, staying positive, finding solutions together.

I think it's a lot of experience we have gained over the years together or separately throughout the years. We traveled a lot and I think that our game has changed. It's become more solid. There's less rush, more calm shots, and when we put this together and at the same time we offer excellent quality of game. We have fun together, and we are happy to move forward in the draw, and being in the final it's fantastic.

Q. So you're confirming that it will take place at -- when will it take place, the final?

CAROLINE GARCIA: At 11:30 on Sunday.

Q. I don't want to spoil it all, but we are all in shock with what happened with Zverev. Are you aware of this? Did you see it?

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: She was in the cold bath. I was doing my recovery bike and I had the screen in front of me and it was shocking.

CAROLINE GARCIA: It seemed that everything was turned off.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: We were in the euphoria of our victory in the second set and said, It's only 5-4 in the second set, what are they doing? We had the time to play our match. We started before them. We had the rain delay. They go on court. We watch them for one set. We go back to our court to finish our match, and we come out of the court, and it's only 5-4 in the second set. How long have they been playing? They haven't finished the second set.

So we are curious of watching a few points, although we continued our recovery routine. And this scene was really awful.

CAROLINE GARCIA: I didn't see it.

Q. You didn't see it and you didn't want to see it?

CAROLINE GARCIA: No, I didn't see it. I heard about it, but I can't see things like that. It's unbearable.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: It's also very sad.

Q. More about this match. You mentioned it in English, but the French question, this France-USA matchup and facing Coco, it's going to be a fantastic final at all levels.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: We have been told several times, Thank you, it will be a beautiful party on Sunday. So good news if people are attracted and they have a beautiful matchup for everyone on Sunday.

For us, it's going to be not a match as usual, but it's our profession, it's our job. We're going to get prepared as usual. We will try to win another match. But of course, even for us it's very pleasant. It's a beautiful adventure, and we really want to perform well on such an event.

Q. (No microphone.)

CAROLINE GARCIA: The pair has been solid for 15 days. It's not only a matter of performance. I think Gauff is in the final. Pegula has been going up to the quarterfinal. They have been playing also separately. This pair actually is good.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: They have won tournaments together, I think.

CAROLINE GARCIA: If they're in final it means that they are really tough opponents and it's a great challenge for us. It's normal that a final should be a great challenge. We'll do everything to be ready and to overcome it.

Q. You said that you didn't have time to play together as much as you wanted ahead of this tournament. What came back straight away when you played together and what required more time to find your grooves?

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: I'll answer.

CAROLINE GARCIA: For the first match, we weren't there.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: For two, we played two singles and two doubles. It was not simple. So as far as I'm concerned, I haven't played so much in doubles, and I was feeling that when playing volleys in terms of interception, reaction time, anticipation, I was not so present. I was like playing a singles from the baseline, and it took some time to adapt to again. But for Caroline, I think it was the same.

CAROLINE GARCIA: What should I feel, you know, if you don't do it yourself.

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: So we don't have so much play time together for long time, so that was a big challenge, and we were able to work on it to compensate or to try to apply our combined strategy and it's been better and better. And what was positive is that we communicated very well.

CAROLINE GARCIA: Yes, communication. We wanted to find solutions when it didn't go well. We wanted to help each other when the other had a letdown and we managed to communicate well, to be positive, one towards the other, to help each other out, and that was really important for this first match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
121215-1-1044 2022-06-03 17:15:00 GMT

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