Top quotes from Washington DC media day: 'The only way to go forward is growth'
WASHINGTON -- The Mubadala DC Open media day weekend is in the books.
Over the past three days, several WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz stars addressed reporters in their pre-tournament press conferences as the Hard-Court Swing continues.
Here are the top quotes from those media sessions:
Venus Williams
"I think that that final was a dream come true for us, for all the things that we had been preparing for and the things that we dreamed of. So from a personal standpoint for our family, it was all the stars aligning.
"From a personal standpoint, I was really happy to have won the match. I think I felt like she was getting so good, it was going to be hard to win those matches and hold her off, and I was right.
"We saw what happened." -- Williams on approaching the 25th anniversary of her 2001 US Open win with both herself and her sister, Serena Williams, still playing today
Top quote:
-- Williams on any new mindsets, and things she's learned at this stage in her career
Jessica Pegula
"I didn't have a lot of prep. I was traveling a lot and had a lot of other work stuff to do that wasn't just on the court, a lot of off-court stuff, and a lot of commitments that I had set up.
"I wasn't originally supposed to actually play here. I ended up adding it to my schedule just because I felt it's so close to me. It's not that far away. It's an easy tournament to play, especially before we go to Toronto and Cincinnati.
I went to a couple of weddings, had a lot of fun, and then did a lot of work in between. So it was a busy week. Not going to lie, my prep probably hasn't been ideal, but it is what it is." -- Pegula on her time after Wimbledon and preparations
Top quote
-- Pegula on how the Player's Box Podcast has evolved over 50 episodes
Leylah Fernandez
"I definitely think back on those memories, on those feelings, the positive feelings, the fight, the energy that the crowd brought. I try to use that to my advantage and try to go back into that state, and hopefully I can reproduce that here.
"I do know that one year is a long time, so a lot can change. I'm just going to try to go out there with the mindset of figuring things out and enjoy my time competing in D.C. where I've had some good success here." -- Fernandez on returning as defending champion
Top quote:
-- Fernandez on her food staples for the tournament
Naomi Osaka
"Being a tennis player, I could probably sit in front of this mic and talk about tennis for a really long time because it's a world that I'm used to. Kind of branching out, doing the fashion stuff has made me talk to people that I've never met before and things like that.
"So, yeah, just trying to, I would say, go into worlds that I've never imagined myself sort of being in before." -- Osaka on her introverted personality
Top quote:
-- Osaka on being a role model for the new generation
Alexandra Eala
"It's definitely been a lot, but a lot of really eye-opening experiences back home. You know, it was just an experience that was more for tennis than me.
"I don't get to go home a lot. I don't go home very often, so every time I go home, it's super meaningful. The fact that I'm able to really interact with the people who I know support me through my journey, it really meant a lot." -- Eala on visiting the Philippines after Wimbledon
Top quote:
-- Eala on being a part of Bad Bunny's La Casita
Qinwen Zheng
That's a huge challenge, because right now in my stage [of my career], I would say the most important thing is more about myself, how I'm able to control myself on court, and to really achieve the level. -- Zheng on maintaining form
Top quote:
-- Zheng on the importance of mentality since returning from injury
