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Transcript of interview with Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 30 May

Friday, May 31, 2013

Na Li - Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Q. You must feel thrilled. Is that one of the best sets you've played, that third set?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: I mean, yeah, it is. I got up 5‑0 and I was spanking returns. I went out there and I wanted to play aggressive, and that's what I did. But, I mean, that's one of the best wins of my career. I knew Na Li wasn't going to give it to me at the end, either. Not that she was giving it to me in the third set, either. She's consistent and good in these situations. You know, I had to ‑ I had to win. You know, I knew she wasn't going to give it to me.

Q. You have always been a good fighter, and generally character tends to be pretty much formed by the time you're out there playing. You know, can you get better as a competitor even ‑ have you been better as a competitor...

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Definitely.  I think you can get smarter, too. There is an instance where you might not be trying, you know, hard enough, and then there is a point where you are trying too hard. You have to find that happy medium in the middle, and that's where you play your best tennis. I think it's tricky to, you know, be in those situations and maybe not go for enough, not go for too much and find that perfect spot. But for me, you know, I just was playing every single point, and I think that's what I have improved on this year mentally, is every point is a new point.  I have a plan and a purpose each point. You know, I know where I want to hit my serve and where I want to hit my return.  I know basically my game plan. I can't control what my opponent does, but everything that I can control I try and control.

Q. You looked almost stressed out there. I mean, it was like another person, especially when you won the match and suddenly you lit up like a Christmas tree. Were you in a mental zone there? Has that become your game face all the time?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Definitely. I mean, I'm not ‑ I hope I don't look too stressed out there, but, you know, I was focused. You know, I know she plays well. You know, I haven't beaten her yet. So, you know, I was staying focused on my game plan. I actually thought the match point I thought her ball was going to drop over. That's why I think I was kind of surprised after I won it. I mean, she's a champion, and I had to play some of my best tennis ever to beat her.

Q. Does it look like ‑ looks like almost you are reborn as a tennis player this year. Can you explain what happened with you?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Well, you know, it's a big thing that I'm healthy. I think that was always a tough one in the past, just, you know, even if I did have good matches in the past couple years, it was tough to build on my momentum because I would get hurt pretty often. But, you know, I'm feeling healthy. I think, as I said before, mentally I'm focused on the court. I think it's a combination of really having a good game plan. I'm an aggressive player, and, you know, I'm going to go out there and play my game, win or lose. You know, I think all that has really helped me play better tennis this year.

Q. Must be a great feeling to talk about your tennis, and not always about your outfits.

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Yeah, it's always been about the tennis. I think the fashion was something I would do if I didn't play tennis. So, you know, for me I put all my effort into tennis.  It's always been about the tennis.

Q. First, I know you started keeping a journal after matches and practices late last year. I want to know, did you write anything in the journal after you lost to Li in Stuttgart, and, if so, what was it?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: It was a tough match in Stuttgart. I don't remember exactly what I wrote, but I think that was probably my tenth match there and my legs were a little bit tired. But, you know, I'm not one to make excuses. I mean, she was playing aggressive, and she plays very fast. That's what I remember from the last couple times that I played with her. She plays, you know, inside the court. She takes balls on the rise. So it always seems like she's putting pressure on you. I was ready for her to do that today, and I wanted to basically give it back to her, because that's kind of my game, too. So it was kind of a battle of who can take control of that middle court. And I didn't do it in Stuttgart, and I was able to do it today.

Q. I know a lot of us are going to write this as the biggest one of your career. But, to you, biggest one of your career? If so, why? Stage? Opponent?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: I think both are accurate. You know, Grand Slam champion, obviously I have beaten Francesca who also won the French Open, so that's why I say it's one of my biggest wins. At a Grand Slam it's my biggest win.  I'm really proud of myself that, you know, I was able to close out the match the way I did.

Q. Your run with a creative outfits in a way was really fantastic, but two questions: Is there a part of you that wants to say to fans, Hey, I'm a little bit more than my socks? And, similarly, I mean, it's been this great breakout sort of season for young Americans. And is there a little part of you that's says, Hey, there are other Americans worthy of conversation than such‑and‑such and such‑and‑such?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Well, the first question, it's funny. I haven't worn anything too crazy on court for a few years now. Off court, obviously, I had the Wimbledon player party dress last year. But other than that, I feel like my racquet has been doing a lot of the talking. You know, the socks, I mean, there is a reason. They're compression socks, so actually I wear them for a reason. I have bad circulation, and so that's why I have been wearing them. And then the American juniors that are coming up, I mean, there was I think 13 of them in the main draw here. And we had the most of any country, and that's awesome. I mean, I think we have a lot of talented, young kids. Obviously older kids, too. But, you know, I think it's been very good for USA tennis.

Q. Did you feel like this kind of win was inevitable given the injuries, the illness, kind of building up this year, playing well, playing better? Did you say, Yeah, there is going to be a big‑time opponent at maybe a slam and I'm going to get the win?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: You want to think that obviously. I think the momentum was there. You know, my game has been there.  My mentality has been there. My body has been there. But, you know, the top players like Na Li are never going to give it to you. So I still had to go out there and win the match, you know. Just because you're doing well or you have momentum, you've still got to carry it through and win those points, still have to win that match point. You know, but it does help that, you know, I have been able to play a lot of matches this year. I mean, more matches than in my career pretty much. That always gives you confidence.

Q. So last couple of points of the match, are you thinking ‑ do you have nerves? Are you thinking, gotta close, gotta close now? Or are you saying point by point I've got to keep my mind clear? I can't think that I'm going to beat her?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Definitely, you get a little excited. I try not to think of the score, actually, because that's something you can't control. You know, for me it's having a plan before I serve and sticking to that.  That's what I did to get to that match points. That's what I need to do to win the match points. You never want to really change anything when there is a big point or a big game. You know, those don't really exist. It's just kind of you do what has gotten you there, and I think that's what I did today.

Q. You win the match, you start smiling because you were thinking maybe the ball wasn't going over. Do you remember feeling similar to that, maybe Bartoli at Wimbledon, Schiavone, when you felt that good?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Bartoli at Wimbledon was a good one. She had made the finals the year before. That was a huge win for me. You know, you always get excited towards the end. I mean, I think any player will say that. But, you know, really I was really happy with how I stayed calm and stuck with my system that I have going, you know, during the points. I was able to stick with that in the last couple of games. Being up 5‑0, she played a couple good games. I mean, she hit a couple great winners off my second serves, and, you know, it could have been easy to start thinking of other things. I was able to really focus on what I needed to do to win those points.

Q. What happened during the rain delay?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: What happened during the rain delays? (Laughter.) Well, I came back here to the locker room, changed.  I'm glad I actually brought a decent amount of clothes, dry clothes.  And then just pretty much listened to some music. The first one wasn't too long. And the second one actually wasn't really that long either, so it wasn't too much. I did a little footwork drills to get warm again and right back out there.

Q. I think it was at the end of the first set, did you want to stop? Because you just had been broken.

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Well, it's tough, I would have wanted to stop if the rain was a little bit harder because I play with gut in my strings. The balls can get a little bit wet and then they get a little heavy.  I'm not here to get ‑ hurt myself because there is wet, heavy balls. And that's a terrible ‑ I just realized how that sounded. (Laughter.) Wow, what was the question?

Q. Heavy balls.

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Whoa. Anyways. It was kind of on that fine line where it wasn't raining too hard. Obviously the clay is not too affected. But if it does drizzle for a little bit and you look up and it gets in your eyes a little bit ‑ it was just on the fine line of playing and not playing.  It was ‑ obviously I did have the momentum, but even if I didn't have the momentum, you know, it's something that obviously you just ‑ you want to play in the right conditions.

Q. Match didn't really start off great for you. You were down 4‑0. What changed at that point?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Well, I think Na Li started out great. She was getting a lot of my balls back, and she absorbs power really well, because I was setting up some points well and actually I missed a few short balls and easier balls that I should have made. Then she came up with some big shots. You know, that's how she plays, and she plays fast. So, you know, I just got a little mad I think at that point, because I had missed a couple of shots I shouldn't have, and, you know, just really mentally got down and said, Okay, what's my game plan here? What am I going to do to win these points? I had to be aggressive against her, because otherwise she was going to be aggressive on me and win that battle. So I think that's what I did different at that 4‑0 point.

Q. How would you describe your look today?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: I was staying warm today because I had a nice neon tank underneath. But it was a little too chilly to take the long sleeve off, so I only have a couple of long sleeves with me.

Q. You have had some ups and downs in your career and went through a series of injuries. Just wondering whether there was a moment where maybe you wondered or worried whether you would have this kind of a victory and be able to have the kind of success that you feel you should be able to achieve?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS:  It definitely crosses your mind. And my husband is back there. He remembered probably one of the matches I walked off losing and I said, I quit. I can't do it anymore. I'm so frustrated not feeling good and not being able to move the way I want to. It's frustrating because I know how I can play, and, you know, there were times when I just ‑ I physically couldn't do it, and I think that's really frustrating. So there definitely were those moments. But, you know, I have a good team around me that believes in me and gave me some good pep talks.  I stuck it out.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the food allergy stuff?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Yeah. Wow, I have a lot of food allergies. I did the test in the off‑season, and it came up that I had like 26 different food allergies. The main ones are gluten and dairy, but I had random ones like pineapple, peaches, papaya, tomatoes, garlic.  So I have a whole list with me. I have done well eating out in restaurants.  It gets a little tricky ‑ especially when you don't speak the language ‑ but it's made a world of difference for me. I have more energy. You know, I'm recovering better. I think one of the issues I had in the off‑season, I had a lot of inflammation in my blood markers and stuff, and that's gone down because of the diet change. So really I feel like a different person since I have done that.

Q. You talked about having more of a game plan out there, more strategy. When does that happen for a player like you? You have been on the tour for a while. When did you decide to do that more or who did it with you? What makes you do it?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: That's a good question. I'm not really sure. You know, I talked to my coaches, and I have had some great mentors actually. It was just something that I came across and I guess I had never done it before. I had always kind of winged it on the court, and it's kind of nice having a plan.  Not that it necessarily goes that way all the time.  Obviously your opponents can affect if you're going to go crosscourt or down the like based on what they hit. But to have an idea when I'm out there ‑ for example, I look for my forehand a lot. I look to run around my forehand. That's my mentality. Even if I'm hitting backhands, that's in the back of my mind. That's my goal, and that helps my feet. Helps me hit my shots better. It was something that I worked on the off‑season with my coach, and it's made a difference.

Q. I do have to admit that I miss the gothic style, you know, black stripes under your eyes, and there is a different person on the court now.

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Well, it's funny. The chair umpire asked me the other day ‑ asked if I was missing my makeup. No, it's just, you know what? It's funny, because my fashion kind of goes with my moods. I do spur‑of‑the‑moment things and I might not do spur‑of‑the‑moment things. It's all really random. I don't plan that as much. I plan my games and my points, but I don't really plan my fashion.

Q. Next round maybe?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: I have them with me. It's potential.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about growing up in Neenah. Great little sports town in Wisconsin. Not exactly a tennis hot bed. Are you the greatest hero from there? Secondly, could you tell us what you're going to write in your journal?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Oh, Neenah, Wisconsin, I haven't gone back in a long time. Obviously I still have family up there. I have my old coaches all up there and they have sent me texts, all been watching. You know, it's a little too cold for me to consider moving back, but there is a lot of great people up there.  I loved growing up in the Midwest.  And there actually ‑‑ you know, I got good up there.  There was a lot of juniors that I practiced with, juniors that I played with. I always played up age groups.  I was in 10, 11, 12 when I was up there and I was playing 18s, and it was very good. But, you know, I love Wisconsin. I'm a Packers fan till the day I die. It's great.

Q. And your journal?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: And the journal? I don't know yet. I really don't know.  You know, I'm going to talk about the rain delays and my game plan coming out.  The first rain delay she came out on fire.  You know, I was up 4‑1 and she won two games; got to 4‑3 and it rained again.  I was a little pissed at that. You know, I wanted to come out the next delay on fire, just like she had, and I think I did.  So that's one of the things I will write in my journal.

Q. You were saying you were listening to some music before going back to the court. What kind of music?

BETHANIE MATTEK‑SANDS: Right now I have on my playlist a lot of Macklemore songs. My Oh My, that's the one I walked out to each time. I have a few techno remixes. David Guetta is one of my favorites; Tiesto is one of my favorites. But, yeah, right now the on‑court walk on is Macklemore.