Tennis News

WIMBLEDON, Great Britain – At 27 years old, Amra Sadikovic is finally on the main stage. Currently ranked No.148, the Macedonian-born Swiss qualified for her first main draw at a Slam at Wimbledon, and on Tuesday she’ll get a chance to walk on Centre Court against an all-time legend in Serena Williams.

So how did Sadikovic react to seeing her name next to Serena’s in the draw?

“I was happy because to me it’s a dream coming true,” Sadikovic told WTA Insider. “You don’t get these chances every year to play one of the best players ever, and then on Centre Court, and in Wimbledon. What else? To me I’m going to go out there and fight and enjoy every single moment.

“There were a lot of players that told me, bad luck, tough draw. It is a tough draw, definitely. But I don’t look at this negative at all. It’s only positive. I can only win. I don’t feel pressure.”

Sadikovic was nowhere near the All England Club in 2014. In fact, she was nowhere near her professional tennis career. The 27-year-old walked away from her pro career at 25 and was coaching at a tennis club in Basel, Switzerland, when she happened to catch a bit of Wimbledon on the TV during a break between lessons.

On the screen was Eugenie Bouchard, a player Sadikovic had played and beaten before. Bouchard had played her way into the semifinals and eventually the final. It was a wake-up call for Sadikovic.

“I had lessons and I had a break. I saw she was on TV and I was like, ‘What? Really? I remember beating her.’

“I worked with kids, adults, good juniors [at the club]. It was so much fun. It’s something that I really want to do later on again again. But after a while I started missing competition. When you turn on the TV and you see the players playing the Grand Slams and you’ve beaten them, that hurts.”

Seeing women she competed against gain success on tour, Sadikovic began to consider a comeback. She missed the competition and her normal, daily routine began to grow tiresome.

“After 14 months, the last question I asked myself was are you able to get back – because I didn’t practice – body-wise, physical-wise. Then it was Timi (Timea Bacsinszky). She gave me the last kick. She’s done unbelievable. Respect for that.”

Sadikovic made her return at an ITF 20K in Essen, Germany last year in June. She qualified and made the quarterfinals, losing to compatriot Viktorija Golubic. Flash forward a year and she defeated Golubic in straight sets last week en route to qualifying for Wimbledon.

“I really gave up on pro tennis when I was 25,” Sadikovic said. Prior to retiring she reached a career-high ranking of No. 179 in 2012, winning eight ITF titles. “In the end it was because I was on court and I didn’t enjoy it anymore. I really asked myself what am I doing here? I don’t want to be here.

“It was also connected with money. It was not easy to afford all these things. I had the Swiss Federation supporting me but in the end it was not enough. My parents could not afford all this. The last 3-4 months I didn’t enjoy it on court anymore. Once I made the decision I felt relief. I don’t regret it. Thank god it was the best decision I ever made.”

Sadikovic says she’s returned to her “second career” with an entirely new mindset, one that is informed with the perspective she gained after walking away. She suffered from a crisis of confidence in her first career, never fully convinced she was good enough be a Top 100 player. But with the support of her family, that’s all changed.

“I have really the best family that I can have. They supported me at every step. Even my sister and her husband they said if you need money we help you out, just go and do your thing. Because I didn’t reach my potential. And I knew that.

“People told me you have the game, you can be Top 100 easily, but it was me. I didn’t believe. I was not 100% convinced I could make it. Now it’s a completely different story.”

Reflecting on her journey sees Tuesday’s match against Serena as a reward for her faith in herself and brave decision to return to the tour.

“I had problems handling pressure,” Sadikovic said, referring to her younger self. “I was afraid, scared — what happens if I lose? — instead of just enjoying playing because it’s such a privilege.

“Now I’m relaxed really because I know how it is when I worked at a coach. It’s a normal life and you have daily routines. But you get tired of it. It made me realize how nice the life of a tennis player really is. Before it was like I had to play. Now I have to be thankful that I can play against Serena, on Centre Court. So I don’t feel much pressure anymore.”

Quick hits with Amra Sadikovic:

WTA Insider: How do you feel about playing on grass?
Sadikovic: “For me it’s special playing on grass courts. Maybe the surface fits my game because I’m playing a man’s style game. I like to play slice. To me it’s elegant playing on grass. Everything is clean and just nice. It’s hard to explain.”

WTA Insider: For people who have never seen you play before, what should they expect from you on Tuesday against Serena?
Sadikovic: “Definitely say they are going to see variety. I hope my serve is going to work because that is also a weapon. I’m going to go out there and try to play my game and not focus on who is over there. That’s going to be the most important thing to me and then I’ll try to make her work as hard as I can.”

WTA Insider: You were born in Macedonia. How did your family come to live in Switzerland?
Sadikovic: “I was born in Macedonia but I’m not connected to this country. My parents moved during the war to Switzerland but my relatives are in Bosnia. So I’m more connected to Bosnia than Macedonia.”

WTA Insider: How did you pick up tennis?
Sadikovic: “My dad, he used to play basketball. Nobody in my family played tennis. I was watching TV all the time and I just wanted to try it. There was a match between Sampras and Agassi at the US Open and I just wanted to try that. This is how it started, when I was 9.

There was a club close to our house. When I came up with this idea that I wanted to play tennis my parents were happy because they were working a lot. We went to the club, we asked for a practice. I started right away three times a week. A week later I was playing club matches and I won the tournament. It was so cool.

WTA Insider: Did you play any other sports as a kid?
Sadikovic: “I played a lot of soccer with my cousins and basketball with my dad. It was nice but I didn’t want to depend on anyone. If I win, I did this. Nobody else. That’s why I decided to play tennis.”

WTA Insider: You’ve qualified for your first main draw at a Slam. What’s your next goal?
Sadikovic: To crack Top 100 by the end of the year.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

Santina On Defense: Reigning Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza captured their first major title together nearly 52 weeks ago at this very tournament, cementing their status as the sport’s top team and foreshadowing an impressive 41-match winning streak that took them to two more majors and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global title.

The pair has since seen their period of uninterrupted dominance come to a close – at least for the time being – with back-to-back final defeats to French Connection Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, who went on to win their home Slam at Roland Garros. Looking to complete the Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam, Hingis and Mirza were stunned by Czech youngsters Barbora Krejcikova and Katarina Siniakova in straight sets in the third round.

Still, it has been another amazing year for Santina, who became the first players to qualify for Singapore in singles or doubles, having already won five titles in the first six months of the season. Top seeds at the All England Club, they play their first match against a pair of Germans, Anna-Lena Friedsam and Laura Siegemund, but face threatening opposition in their half of the draw, including No.13 seeds Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva, who knocked them out early at the Miami Open. King won the Wimbledon doubles crown back in 2010 with Yaroslava Shvedova – who is seeded No.5 with Timea Babos in the Santina quarter – and together with Kudryavtseva reached their first final of 2016 at the Aegon Classic. 

Their semifinal opponents could be No.3 seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yun-Jan – the last team to defeat Santina before their winning streak began last summer – or No.7 seeds Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova, who were the team to beat early last year with a pair of major victories at the Australian Open and French Open. The grass court certainly favors Mirza’s power and Hingis’ quick hands, and the team should be feeling a boost at the Grand Slam that started their meteoric rise.

French Across The Channel: Taking a winning streak through much of the clay court swing, Garcia and Mladenovic won three straight titles at the Volvo Car Open, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and Mutua Madrid Open – defeating Hingis and Mirza at the latter two finals.

Battling through a quartet of talented Russians in the semis and finals, the French women won an emotional three-setter over former champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina to earn their first major title in women’s doubles.

The pair haven’t played since Paris, but both have proven capable of translating their games to the grass, with Garcia winning her first title on the surface in Mallorca two weeks ago, and Mladenovic having previously reached a pair of Wimbledon finals, winning mixed doubles with Daniel Nestor in 2013 and finishing runner-up in women’s doubles with Timea Babos in 2014.

Seeded second, Garcia and Mladenovic open against qualifiers Demi Schuurs and Renata Voracova, and could face the power of No.8 seeds Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova or the guile of No.12 seeds Margarita Gasparyan and Monica Niculescu in the quarterfinals.

Russians, Reunited: Looming for the Frenchwomen in the semifinals could be No.4 seeds Makarova and Vesnina, who spent nearly a year apart due to injuries to the former, but have hardly skipped a beat since coming back together in Madrid. Celebrating the four-year anniversary of their first tournament together, Makarova and Vesnina roared into the semifinals, and nearly toppled Hingis and Mirza in the finals of Rome a week later.

Narrowly losing to Garcia and Mladenovic at Roland Garros, the Russians have to like their chances of replicating their run to last year’s Wimbledon final, where they led Santina 5-2 in the final set. Their first round will be against British wildcards Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith, with Australian Open finalists and No.6 seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka their projected quarterfinal opponents.

Venus Williams and Serena Williams are unseeded in the Russian’s quarter; a meeting in the last eight would mark a rematch of their US Open encounter back in 2014, which Makarova and Vesnina won in straight sets en route to the title. The Americans played their first major tournament since that loss at this year’s French Open, where they fell in the third round to Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson.

Unseeded & Looming: Darija Jurak and Anastasia Rodionova may be the most dangerous floaters in the Wimbledon draw. The veterans and Mylan World TeamTennis stalwarts won the Aegon International last week in Eastbourne, defeating not only Hingis and Mirza, but also the Chan sisters to take the title in a match tie-break.

“It was a great performance, all the way from the first round,” Rodionova said after the final. “I think we gelled as a team from the beginning, and that’s what got us to the title.

“I’m very happy with the way we’re playing right now; it’s a great way to go into a Slam.”

Jurak and Rodionova will have to keep up their giant-killing game from the first round at Wimbledon, taking on No.9 seeds and Australian Open semifinalists Xu Yi-Fan and Zheng Saisai, with No.5 seeds Babos and Shvedova also looming in their section before they could earn a rematch with Hingis and Mirza in the quarters.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

LONDON, Great Britain – The 2016 WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party presented by Dubai Duty Free was all about elegance and extravagant outfits and although it was obvious that the WTA stars invested a lot of thought and energy into looking special, some players took things up a notch with attention-grabbing designs that are bound to make history when it comes to fashion at tennis red carpet events. Among them was Heather Watson, who left nothing to chance when it comes to British weather, making sure to have on hand an umbrella matching her dress, so that an unexpected rain wouldn’t ruin her glamorous look.

Our contributor Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog got in touch with Brett Mettler, Creative Director at Mettler London and the designer behind Watson’s intriguing olive green latex look.

Dress: @brettmettler ??
Shoes: @SOPHIAWEBSTER
Hair: @alessiomatta ??
Makeup: @Lisa_Benefit ?
Car: @JaguarUK ? pic.twitter.com/VQs4ore2DU

— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) June 24, 2016

 For the second year in a row you are designing Heather’s WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party dress. How did you two start working together?

I was invited to a party by my brother-in-law Dom Inglot (member of the British Davis Cup team) and I met Heather there. We started chatting and hit it off immediately! She is such a playful and friendly person and we started having fun, talking about style, outfits etc. Inevitably the conversation came around to how we might be able to do something fun and exciting for one of her public appearances and with the 2015 Pre-Wimbledon Party on the horizon, we decided to focus on that.

Can you tell us something about the creative process behind the 2016 WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party dress design?

With the 2015 blue and pink chiffon dress, Heather wanted something playful, light and with a lot of movement to it. That was the starting point for the concept. This year’s dress, she wanted something really different. She wanted something a little more risqué and edgy but still very playful.

A lot of my own experience lies in using latex in a high fashion way, trying to bring it to a different audience through light and fun colors, cuts and formats. It seemed a great overlap for us to explore, so I started coming up with some latex concepts and we worked through a few iterations to make sure that it was something Heather could get excited about.

Are there some elements of the outfit that are Heather’s input?

Absolutely. As with anything I do for clients, I wanted the dress to reflect her personality and accentuate her best assets. Heather is such a complete package in terms of beauty; it is quite a tricky thing to know where to start from! But last year’s dress really let her legs do their thing because they are so lean and long and so we knew that this year, we would do the same. Sophia Webster’s shoes are so sensational that we wanted to give them their room to shine as well.

Heather was also keen to make sure that we changed the color palette, but of course it had to work with her striking skin tone. We felt the olive color really did that well. Finally, Heather really wanted something that drew attention to her back and shoulders, so the design features around those areas were there to draw attention.

Whose idea was to include an umbrella in the look?

That was all Heather! It was genius! She knew the color the dress would be, so she found an umbrella that obviously went with the whole get up, but it perfectly captured her playful character. She had been getting fed up with rain delays over the previous week or so, and it was raining on the day, so instead of letting it get her down, she decided to have fun with it.

I think it was the perfect accessory and I think everyone at the Party really got into it. To be honest, I wish it had been my idea!

Did you expect that the outfit would turn out to be one of the biggest fashion hits at the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party?

You never really know to be honest. You always hope, but we knew that this year, going out in latex was always going to be a point of conversation. It was either going to push the envelope, or push the envelope too far. I think we got it just right: unique and cheeky, but playful and elegant. I am glad that it got such huge and positive interest and of course I need to thank Heather for being such a wonderful character and model and also for being bold enough to go for the concept.

You completed postgraduate studies at London College of Fashion. How have you become a Latex Specialist?

My BA in Fashion Womenswear was at Central St. Martins and my final collection there in 2011 included latex. I got into latex before them, around 2008, through some friends who modelled in it. I thought it was such a striking material but one that by and large had a poor reputation with very few designers exploring all its possibilities. I also wanted to really see how latex could be incorporated with non-latex materials to create more exciting outfits and looks.

Since 2008 I have worked with some of the biggest names in latex and took that to my stints at Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, and I am really excited generally to see how else I can bring it to a new audience. It really does makes you feel sexy though, so I recommend everyone have at least one signature latex piece in their closet: that pair of leggings or jacket that sets a look off!

Have you and Heather already discussed some looks for future red carpet appearances?

Of course, but you will have to wait for the next red or purple carpet to see what we’ve cooked up!

– Photos courtesy of Getty Images

Following an Achilles surgery that kept her off the tour much of last spring, 2014 Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova was ranked as low as No.66 in the world back in January. The once odds-on darkhorse to pull off early upsets was left ruing missed opportunities in Indian Wells and Miami, both times losing to big names like Agnieszka Radwanska and Garbiñe Muguruza from winning positions. 

But a title at the Katowice Open turned everything around for the Slovakian dynamo, who roared into her biggest final since Melbourne at the Mutua Madrid Open, and pulled off a second straight win over Radwanska en route to her first grass court title at the Aegon International.

Chatting with WTA Insider less than 24 hours after arriving at the All England Club, Cibulkova discussed the stabilizing influence of her team – one now flanked by a new physio and sports psychologist – and the importance of playing free of expectations, even as the pressure heats up for the latest addition to the Road to Singapore’s Top 8.

WTA Insider: First grass court title for you, back in the Top 20 and the Top 8 on the RTS. Talk about what the title means to you.
Cibulkova: It’s very special because it’s on grass, and I never saw myself as a grass court player. After such a great win in Eastbourne, it gives me a lot of confidence and it feels so good. Yesterday, I was saying, ‘No, I cannot believe that I won such a tough tournament on grass.’ Many top girls played and it was a tough competition, but I managed with all the conditions and everything. It feels so great. Today, I’m a bit tired, so I’m lucky I’m playing on Tuesday so I can have some rest.

WTA Insider: Talk about your relationship with grass. You’re a big hitter and you can hit the ball really flat. So on one level, we’d say you should be dangerous on grass, but what was your feeling about it?
Cibulkova: Before, I’d made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and that was my first ‘something’ on grass, so after I thought, ‘Come on, I can play on this.’ Then, I played some third rounds and it was fine, but I didn’t have expectations for grass because I didn’t feel at home. That’s why I came to Eastbourne this year.

My coach told me, ‘Domi, every grass court match you play before Wimbledon will be good, so relax and play your game.’ We practiced just five days on grass, and that was a really good warm-up for me, and I was playing so well from the first round. It’s not easy to play against the taller girls who have such big serves like Pliskova. But I managed to play against them, and even beat them. I think my game improved a lot from the last few years; my serve and return improved, and those are the most important things on grass.

WTA Insider: What was it about grass that made you uncomfortable?
Cibulkova: At most, you really only have two or three tournaments on grass, and one is Wimbledon. You never get to practice on grass, so it’s not usual. For me, it’d be like one big question, ‘How will it be?’ It’s not like, I want to come here and do well, because I’ve trained and feel good. It’s more like, ‘I came here and, ok, we’ll see what’s going to happen.’

WTA Insider: A lot of players talk about the movement being the primary source of discomfort on grass; is that also the case for you?
Cibulkova: I don’t have this problem, but I know what you’re talking about because it’s very different and very difficult to move on grass. But everything is different: the bounce of the ball, very short rallies. It’s different tennis than any other surface.

WTA Insider: The first set of the final against Pliskova went back and forth, very tough to call. How were you able to pull that out?
Cibulkova: It was so difficult and so windy, so it was really tough to play. I made some unforced errors in the first few games because I was thinking about the wind and how it’s so hard to play, that it’s not nice tennis and I don’t feel comfortable on the court. My couch came and said, ‘Domi, don’t worry about the wind, just focus on the game,’ and from there I was serving much better. The most important ganme was 4-2 in the second set, when she had some break points to come back. That was the game where I won the match, because had I lost it, it might have gone quickly the other way around. But I was playing free and was really enjoying it.

WTA Insider: Did you come into Wimbledon this morning?
Cibulkova: No, we drove last night; it’s just a one and half hour drive, so it was fine. I’ve never had a good experience playing too long at a tournament the week before because I like to practice at the Grand Slam for a few days. But I cannot complain; I just won a tournament, so it’s going to be good, for sure.

WTA Insider: What is it like being back here? Does it bring any specific memories up for you, or is it different having just won a tournament?
Cibulkova: I’d never won a tournament the week before a Grand Slam, so of course, it’s a little bit different because of all the emotions and then, from one day to the other, you have to be focused on another big thing. It’ll be a little bit different this year, but I’m sure I’ll handle it good. I have a very tough opponent in the first round; I played [Lucic-Baroni] here once and it was a very tough match, so I’m prepared to have another tough one on Tuesday.

WTA Insider: Do you remember the first grass court match you ever played?
Cibulkova: No, I think it was in Roehampton when I played juniors, but I don’t remember that.

WTA Insider: So grass really does sound like a short, specific time of the season.
Cibulkova: Exactly, it’s just two-three weeks, maximum, during the year. We never used to have a grass court at home, and it was always something so different.

WTA Insider: Stepping back a little bit, let’s talk about your season. In the last 12 months, you’re pretty much almost where you were when you left off. That has to be an incredibly satisfying feeling.
Cibulkova: It is. It’s what motivates me, because I was working really hard after that, and it wasn’t easy to come back. I was around No.60 or No.70 in the world, and facing top players in the first round because you’re not seeded. You really have to play well to get back to where you were before, and I think that’s the hardest part. If you can manage that, then I think it shows you’re a good player.

WTA Insider: What was the most important thing to get back; was it just a matter of getting the game back together, or was it mental?
Cibulkova: It was everything all together. Physically, I was working out even when I was injured, at the gym almost every day. But I lost some matches to players I didn’t think I’d lose to, and sometimes it was tough. You start to think you want to come back, but this isn’t where you should be, or that you should have a better ranking. It doesn’t go that fast, so when I stopped thinking like that and just playing, really focused on tennis, it all came together.

WTA Insider: Do you feel you’re playing better now than before the injury?
Cibulkova; Yes. I would say tennis is very mental, and I started working with a mental coach. Actually, before my operation, I started working with him, and I’ve seen it really help me. It’s not like I talk with him once a week on the phone and he tells me what to do; it’s not easy like that. I realized that I have to work on this side, like regular practice.

We have mental training sessions, and we work that way also with my coach in practices. It’s something that’s helped a lot. Now I realize everything I’m doing on the court, and I’m doing it with purpose. I don’t lose my emotions so much. I’m not saying it’ll be like this all the time because nothing is perfect, but I hope to keep it like this as long as I can.

WTA Insider: Talk a little bit about your team, because obviously your coach is always there, your boyfriend/fiance is also always around. We see them all the time. That must be very nice to have a traveling team with you, to give you more stability.
Cibulkova: It is. For me, this is the most important thing. Now we have a new physio on the team as well, and we’re all having a really good time. We all live and work for me to be good, so it’s very nice.

WTA Insider: What do they do for you to be good?
Cibulkova: It’s personal, and not business. They care. When we’re at tournaments, we go for dinner together and spend almost all our free time together. It’s very nice. We can talk about everything because we’re like a family.

WTA Insider: I saw a quote that came out of Eastbourne that you had posters of the Spice Girls on your wall, and not tennis players.
Cibulkova: Yes! They were asking me who motivated me to play tennis growing up. I said, ‘I have to tell you that I never had any athletes on my wall, just Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys.’

WTA Insider: Do you still listen to the Spice Girls?
Cibulkova: No, I like more Rihanna (laughs). She’s like the new Spice Girls!

WTA Insider: You’re on the Top 8 on the RTS. What would it mean for you to qualify?
Cibulkova: Right now I’m not thinking about it because in 2014 I was very close, and that’s what made me very intense and want it too much. I was over-motivated and it didn’t happen. So, I’m not thinking about it. It’s really far and I want to learn from my mistakes and really enjoy what I’m doing on the court. I’m really happy right now on the court, and when I’m playing free is when I’m at my best.

WTA Insider: It seems like you’ve learned to let go over the last 12 months, the concept of wanting something too much was holding you back.
Cibulkova: Yes, exactly. I realized that, even if I hadn’t won Eastbourne, when I woke up this morning, it’d be the same. It’s nice, but life goes on. I have a great boyfriend, family, friends, and I’ve already done a lot in my career. I want to be stressed so much because it’s not helping. It’s easy to say, but not easy to do. This week I was able to do it, and I played well.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

WIMBLEDON, Great Britain – Over the weekend, World No.1 Serena Williams, French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza, Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and British No.1 Johanna Konta spoke to the media on the eve of Wimbledon and the vibe of each press conference captured their emotions as the third major is set to begin on Monday.

Serena looked like a woman who wanted nothing more than to stop talking and start playing. Muguruza still looked fresh and bubbly in the afterglow of her win in Paris. Kerber and Konta had a no-nonsense air about them and Kvitova seemed as curious as the inquisitive brigade of reporters as to how she’ll perform at her favorite Slam.

Here are the highlights from a busy weekend in the press room.

Serena Williams addressed the press on Sunday at her Champions’ press conference. Here’s how she’s been preparing for her title defense:

“I got here I think on Monday. So I’ve had a lot of time on the grass. In the States, usually I just hit on the hard court. But the grass has slowed down a lot. I mean, it’s a huge difference still, but it’s not like it was 10 years ago. I did the same preparation, and it seems to work for me.

Angelique Kerber says she can serve pain free now, which wasn’t the case at Roland Garros:

“I mean, the time after Paris, few days going home, having a lot of treatments for my shoulder and everything, that was good for me like mentally, physically, everything, to get this time, getting a little bit down. Right now I’m feeling good, so the shoulder is already much better. Yeah, no pain when I’m serving.”

Garbiñe Muguruza on whether she feels different at Wimbledon now that she is a Slam champion:

“I don’t feel different because I’m so convinced that not because winning French Open I’m going to come here and this is miracle and I’m going to win every match. I’ve been in the situation where you win a lot of matches, and then suddenly, you know, you lose. You’re like, Oh, I thought I was going to win. I don’t take anything for granted.

I’m going for the first match, like everyone else, from zero. And, yeah, not thinking about that.”

Serena on whether she feels any pressure at Wimbledon:

“Well, this year I don’t feel as much tension as I usually do. Well, there’s some years I haven’t felt any tension either. I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t feel any pressure or stress.”

Wimbledon is a special place for Petra Kvitova. She explains:

If you ask any other tennis player what they want to win it’s always Wimbledon. So it was the same with me when I was a kid. I didn’t really expect to win it twice already which is like the dream really came true. It’s really special. Wimbledon for me is a real historic place and you just feel it from the moment you just went to the area. It’s great feelings.

Johanna Konta was grilled about the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd as the No.1 Brit. She wasn’t biting:

Q. You say you don’t know what to expect from the fans, but you see what happens with Jamie and Andy. It’s going to step up an extra level. Do you have to prepare for that?
JOHANNA KONTA: Actually, I really don’t because I’ve never been in Andy’s or Tim’s shoes. I don’t know how they experience what they experience. For me, this will be a new thing. I’m looking forward to it. Equally, you know, I’m here to play my tennis, just really enjoy what I do.

Q. Does a big reaction push you forward or is it something you have to manage?
JOHANNA KONTA: I guess the less I think about it, the less of a thought process I need to go into it. I’m here to play, not to have a reaction or manage other people’s expectations. I’m here for me, so…

Kerber on her reaction after a disappointing first round exit from the French Open:

“Of course after few days, I was disappointed still. But, to be honest, I was not watching Paris from this moment. I was going home, I was taking my time off, because it was a lot in the last few months. I was trying to take these days just for myself, spending the time at home, then trying to be ready also mentally and physically with my shoulder to going on court, yeah, going there and giving again everything.

So I just saw a little bit the final, but that was it. I know from Paris, I just know that it was raining the whole week. This is what I know.”

Kvitova on who the favorite is to win the title:

It’s Serena. [laughs] Well definitely it is. Of course she is the biggest favorite and she has the best game to win it here.

Get ready for the spotlight, Garbiñe:

Q. I’m sure you’re used to sharing attention from the Spanish media when Rafa is at a tournament. Now that Rafa is not here, are you getting the sense that all the Spanish media is focused on you?
GARBINE MUGURUZA: I thought about that the other day when I saw that Rafa, you know, was not playing [Look of wide-eyed shock]. No, I’m just joking.

For sure, people are more looking at what I’m doing, will be more watching me. But I think that’s fine. It’s a good sign. I like it. I’ll try to do my best.

But I was so happy, finally this year, I’m like, I did better than Nadal in French Open. I’m like, This is so weird (laughing).

Kerber on her preparation:

Q. On a scale of 1 to 10, how prepared are you physically and mentally coming into Wimbledon?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: 1 to 10? Let’s say 11 (smiling). No, I’m really prepared. I did everything I could.

Serena on her favorite memory of watching Venus play at Wimbledon:

“Probably playing Lindsay Davenport in the final here. I think it was really an incredible match. I think she was down a match point or two. It was an insane match. It was three sets. It was a really, really good match.

“I just remember her being very happy, but very confident. I was more happy that she won. When someone you love wins, you are just so happy for them. Yeah, it was just a great experience, a wonderful experience.”

Konta is as level-headed a player as you’ll find on the tour, never allowing herself to get too high or too low. She was asked whether her Eastbourne run to the semifinals gave her more confidence at Wimbledon:

It would be hypocritical of me to say, Oh, yes, I feel more confident, because going into Australia, I’d actually lost two first rounds. I think it’s more about not so much the wins, but how you feel in the matches that you’ve played.

“I feel like I’ve had some really good matches against some really good players. Whether I’ve won some, lost some, also having time on the grass, I feel very lucky to have had that.”

Kvitova on the effect of Serena losing the last two Slam finals:

I don’t think that it’s, like, the biggest problem on the tour [laughs]. I just think that she will find the way she’s gonna win another final someday. It’s just how it is. I think that if someone is playing Serena in a final they feel like they don’t really have something to lose. Serena is always the favorite and I think it’s a little bit more relaxed from the opponent.

Muguruza was wearing a Spain jersey as she did her pre-tournament press:

“I mean, in Spain, if you don’t follow football, you’re dead. You don’t have conversation.”

Konta on whether her reaction to Hungary advancing to the quarterfinals of the European Championships.

“Mom probably couldn’t give two hoots. But dad was very excited. I’m happy that my dad’s excited. I think that’s the best way to describe football at home (smiling).”

Kvitova on whether she feels the bullseye on her back at Wimbledon:

I think it’s tough because of course for me I should be kind of confident on the grass which I am to play on the grass I know how well I can play on it. But I think the other girls want to play a little better and they want to beat me especially here because they know what happened here. But you can look at it from both sides. But I think the opponents are playing less with pressure.

Kerber on her confidence level on grass:

“I like to play on grass. I mean, it’s always nice to have a few tournaments on grass of the year. It’s always something different. On grass, the rallies are not so long as on clay and also on hard.

I like to have the short rallies, or, like, also to going for it. What is really important on grass is the serve and the return. That’s the two shots, they are really important. This is what I like. I don’t dislike grass, so it’s always good on grass for me.”

Kvitova on her best performances at Wimbledon:

I have probably two. When I beat Venus in 2014 in the third round which I felt that she was better player on the court in the first two sets and I was able somehow to win it. And then definitely in the final against Bouchard.

Kerber on what it’s like to sit next to her on the couch while watching football:

“I’m jumping, screaming. Sometimes I’m quiet as well. So it’s everything. A lot of emotions in these 90 minutes.”

Muguruza on playing mixed doubles with Rafael Nadal at the Rio Olympics:

“I never played mixed. I think he told me he never played mixed. I think last minute, in case we play, I don’t know, it’s going to be like, Well, Rafa, what do you do? I don’t know. You? I think it’s going to be very like that.”

Serena and Venus are playing doubles at Wimbledon and they’re already practicing for a medal bid at the Rio Olympics.

“We’re doing a little preparation. We’re practicing a little bit in doubles. Whenever I hit a return out in singles, I’m like, It counts for doubles, so it works out (smiling).”

Konta was asked for her thoughts on the “Brexit” vote that will see Britain leave the European Union:

“Obviously I’m aware of what happened during the referendum. But, yeah, in terms of my own opinions, I think they’re very much best discussed at the dinner table.”

Serena on the effect of the Brexit vote on prize money this year:

“Yeah, I mean, I’m not a citizen of here, but I think at this point the Euro, the pound and the dollar went down after that decision. It affected the economy I think in a whole. However, I think it’s too soon right now to see how long that effect will last, or if it won’t last long. It’s a very volatile economy right now. We’ll see what happens. I’m watching really closely, though.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.