“After this ‘Roland Garros’, I was even ‘hungrier’. I want more!” Interview with Daria Kasatkina

At Roland Garros, the women’s singles tournament is over. The most successful of all Russians played there Daria Kasatkina. For the first time in her career, the tennis player reached the semifinals of the Grand Slam tournament, where she lost to the world’s leading racket, Iga Sventek. Previously, at the Majors, she played twice in the quarter-finals, but that was in 2018. The current success will allow Kasatkina to move closer to the top ten of the WTA rankings – on Monday she will be on the 12th row.

After the tournament, Daria Kasatkina spoke with a correspondent. In this interview:

– Where are you now?

– After Paris, I came to Barcelona for a few days to train before the grass series.

– Why didn’t you stay for the final in Paris? Or is it not particularly accepted by tennis players?

– We always spend so much time in tournaments that when we finish the performance, we immediately pack our things and leave. I don’t remember anyone staying to watch the semi-finals and finals. Especially when you lose, you already want to leave faster. In addition, Grand Slam tournaments last two weeks. I stayed there exactly two weeks. I already wanted to change the situation.

– But still, this may be the last Roland Garros final for Rafael Nadal.

— Yes, but there was no chance of getting to the stadium. There are no more tickets. If, for example, at the start of the tournament or in the middle of the player’s accreditation, you can go somewhere, then it is no longer possible to go to the final. I am going to watch TV.

– It’s been two days since your semi-finals. Are you already thinking about new tournaments or the current Roland Garros still does not let you go?

– To be honest, I completely forgot about Roland Garros. I feel like it was either a very long time ago or it didn’t exist at all. The day after tomorrow, preparations for the next tournaments will begin. In that regard, I like how I feel about it. As if after this “Roland Garros” I was even more “hungry”. I tried this semi-final, a new stage. I feel like I’m not enough. I want more!

– Do you always get away so quickly from one tournament to move on to another?

– Other. Depends on mental state. There is a physical form, there is a psychological form. It also depends on the level of tension that prevailed in the matches during the tournament. I was lucky in this regard. I crossed the grid without expending much effort. So I already feel refreshed.

– It is clear that tennis players, starting the tournament, want to reach the final and win it. But deep down, before the start of Roland Garros, did you think you could go that far on this?

– Absolutely not. Although I played well in Rome before that. The Grand Slam tournament is a long competition. You never know what will happen. Also, I wasn’t a bit sick, but I didn’t feel well before the tournament started. Therefore, there was no expectation on this. Expectations, on the other hand, are destructive. You think that here I am in good shape, but in the end, you will either be unlucky with the net or something will go wrong. If you deal with big competitions easier, life is easier.

– We flew to the quarter-finals with super confidence, two rivals were “hooked at the wheel” (we won the set with the score 6:0). Did you feel as confident inside as you walked along the gate?

– The first two rounds, I was still a little on such, let’s say, tension. Starting a tournament is challenging and exciting. And it got easier along the way. But at first, of course, I was nervous. Also, I started late. I was assigned to play Tuesday with the last inning. That is to say, I had been waiting for the start of the tournament for a long time. You’re already looking at who’s gone further down the grid, and you’re thinking, “Damn, but I haven’t played yet.” This also plays a role. I’m glad I was able to handle it. Even though I didn’t feel super confident in myself, so looking at the game and analyzing it along the way, I realized that I didn’t make the right decisions in a 100% state. .

– How was it to play in the quarter-finals against her compatriot Veronika Kudermetova, whom you know very well, with whom you jumped together six months ago, celebrating the victory at the Billie Jean King Cup, and for whom this semi -final could also be the first in the Grand Slam tournaments?

— I was very excited. We have many childhood memories. We played a lot against each other in juniors. And yes, we won the Billie Jean King Cup last year. Of course, playing against a compatriot is another. Also, the fact that we are the same age adds spice, because in the subconscious they take you there – 10 years ago, when they were playing against a friend as kids. It was interesting and cool that we both went from there – from the smaller PTT (Russian Tennis Tour) tournaments – and we played the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam tournament.

– What did they say to each other after the quarter-finals?

– It turned out to be nothing. We didn’t see each other after the game. I know his team congratulated my team, and we didn’t see each other again on the courts.

– Did you have a kind of wow effect by reaching the semi-finals?

– Yes. At the time it was very cool. I was filled with emotions. But I couldn’t handle them. They were too numerous, they were too strong. According to the program, I had to play the next day. So let’s just say that I didn’t fully digest what happened, and I just couldn’t process my emotions. It happens. Maybe if the schedule had a day off it would have been better. In this case, Iga’s experience played into the hands. She has experience in such matches and he has clearly helped her. I haven’t had that experience, but I’m glad to have it.

– What is the reason for the emotion that bothered you in the semi-finals?

– First of all, I was happy that it was my best result on helmets. Second, purely inside myself, I have stepped over something important. Because I had quarter-finals, I reached a certain stage in my career and I couldn’t go any further. It was important psychologically. And yes, it looks like she was very happy about it. The glass overflowed a little.

– Did the psychological state depend on who you had to play in the semi-finals?

– I don’t think my condition depended on the opponent. Maybe if I had played with someone else, that would have been enough to trigger a big fight or even win. With Iga, that was objectively not enough for me.

– Sventek is now considered by some to be invincible. How invincible is she to you?

– Yes, for the moment she has not lost for a very long time. Let’s see. The world has yet to see a single player who has never lost. If, for example, there are in the UFC, then there are no invincibles in tennis.

– How do I defeat her?

– If I was sure, it would help me in the semi-finals. I think she now wins a lot of important games and points thanks to her authority. Anyone who does not look to this authority will have a good chance.

– Zemfira and Renata Litvinova went to your Roland Garros matches. I assume you know them?

– It turns out that we met personally at Roland Garros. Before that, they knew each other on the Internet.

– How did it happen?

– Zemfira herself somehow came to me. She loves tennis, and not just tennis. He is very active in sports. She wrote to me that she was following. We talked about tennis with her. When I arrived in Paris, I invited her to the match. After the game with Georgie, we got to know each other personally.

– What did you talk about?

– About tennis. We talked a lot about tennis. It is obvious that she loves him very much, that she understands him. I was very happy to meet and communicate with such a person. She is very cool.

– It seems that your friend Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also said that she knew Zemfira.

– Yes yes. The other day, Zemfira called Nastya.

– It’s music, one might say, not from your generation. Do you have Zemfira songs in your playlist?

This music is eternal. I don’t know if future generations will listen, but it’s a legend. It’s undeniable. And yes, I listen to his songs. Not all of them, but there is a list of favorite songs I listen to.

– Before the game under Zemfira, don’t you listen to the game?

– Sometimes. I have my own algorithms in terms of music before games. It’s not always the same. It happens that before the game I hear a song, listen to it several times, if I win, I start to listen to it more.

– You now have two tournaments ahead of you on the grass. Why did you choose to play them? There is an opinion that since Russian tennis players cannot play Wimbledon, they should immediately prepare hard and not play one or two tournaments on grass.

– Yes, but the rating continues to live its own life. OK, no points at Wimbledon. But two or three weeks before, tennis players will score points. In addition, you must take into account the practice of the game. There are still two months before the first tournament on hard court. If you don’t play for two months, it’s like you’re off schedule. It was raining. I don’t want to train anymore. I want to play competitions. Especially now that I feel cool. I want to play as much as possible. Especially on this wave. Also, the Berlin tournament is very cool. And I love to play on the grass. It’s cool. Even if there is no opportunity to play at Wimbledon, I still want to play on grass for at least two weeks.

— How important is the ranking to you and where would you like to be at the end of the year?

Ranking is like a reward, especially if you play well. When you see the numbers in front of your last name going down, it’s like motivation. Where would I like to be? Of course, I want to be as high as possible – on the front row. But it’s so hard. I’ll do my best. Now I am in a good position in the WTA race – seventh. Why not play two tournaments on grass in this case? Of course, scoring motivates someone, but on the contrary, it puts pressure on someone. At the time, it weighed on me. Now more motivating.

– Now you will play two grass tournaments. What will you be doing for two weeks when Wimbledon takes place? What is the plan?

– I will take a short break – three or four days. And I’m back on the ground. I will play two clay court tournaments in Europe. Because I have to play. I have already said that I was trained. I want to compete.