Caroline Garcia, crowned in Cincinnati: “I was not very confident when I arrived here”

“How do you feel after winning this title in Cincinnati?
It is pure joy. I’m just happy. Each title is very particular, whether it’s a 250 or a 1000, it’s always very difficult to describe. It doesn’t happen that often so you have to savor it. My first hard training sessions weren’t great, nor was the first hard court tournament in Toronto. I tried to find my rhythm, to feel better, to adapt to the hard where I had not played since Miami.

So I was not very confident when I arrived here. I had complicated matches in qualifying. I was already happy to be out of it. Every day was a new challenge. I focused on myself, my game, how to be more aggressive, how to improve, until I was here today (Sunday) with the trophy.

How do you explain that it worked so well this week after several frustrating years?
My style of play and my state of mind are much clearer. We decided on a way to play, in which direction to go. When I arrive on the court, I know what game I have to produce, I know what I have to do and I give the maximum. It’s difficult, but I give 100%. I feel much better physically. I can train and move however I want. It’s already huge. Afterwards, you set yourself goals and you do everything to achieve them.

Petra Kvitova also has a very aggressive style of play. She explained that there could be weeks without. Are you prepared for it?
I have to accept the fact that it might not work every time. It hasn’t worked every time so far. But if I still had doubts, winning matches, winning a title with this style, it proves to me that this is what works. Yes, maybe one day my timing will be wrong. That I won’t be as fast as this week in the legs. It will be more complicated, but I will try anyway. I will lose games, of course, but if I gave 100% and my attitude was good, I would learn from these defeats. That’s what my team pushes me to do. This is how I want to play. »