This is what the Pole had to say about...
...her return to Stuttgart and the title defence:
“I’m really excited to be back, especially because it’s my first days on clay. I’m happy to be back on the surface. I love this tournament and I have really great memories.”
...last year’s winner’s car:
“I drive the Porsche I won here last year on a daily basis. It’s something special having it at home and using it because we don’t have many opportunities on tour during the season to do that. I’m working on my driving skills but I have to be careful so that I don’t get too many tickets!”
...her emotional and mental preparation before tournaments:
“I always try to get in the right frame of mind no matter how I feel before a tournament. It’s important to believe in your abilities and that everything is possible.”
...her preparation for the clay court season and the importance of Stuttgart as the opener:
“Stuttgart is an ideal start to the clay court season. The pace of the surface here is between hard courts and normal clay which helps me to transition. Though I had my first practice on clay today, I feel ready especially as I have good memories in my mind of how I played here last year.”
...the dominance during the course of her career:
“I’m proud of my progress and everything in terms of how I’ve handled all the different challenges during my career. Belonging to the Top 10 of players in terms of weeks at No. 1 is pretty cool.”
...the way she deals with pressure:
“I’ve learnt to deal with expectations, especially with outside pressure. I concentrate on setting my own goals and not to let myself be influenced by outside expectations.”
...the importance of the Olympic Games for her tournament schedule:
“The Olympics are very important for me but there’s no leeway to adjust your schedule before the Games. But I’ll plan my tournaments so that I can have the perfect preparation.”
