Karolina Pliskova interview: Czech star in no rush to cross Grand Slam title off her bucket list

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  • Karolina Pliskova has already checked off some serious items off her tennis bucket list.

    She reached a Grand Slam final (US Open 2016), she became world No. 1 (July 2017), she won nine career titles and scored some big victories including triumphs over both Serena and Venus Williams at the same major (also US Open 2016).

    Now ranked No. 5 in the world, Pliskova is still searching for a maiden Grand Slam title but the 25-year-old assures she is in no rush and is focusing on improving her game more than anything else.

    Pliskova is seeded No. 3 in Dubai, where she was runner-up to Simona Halep in 2015. Before she opens her campaign against either Carla Suarez Navarro or a qualifier, the Czech star sat down with Sport360 at the Jumeirah Creekside hotel in Dubai.

    You were ill in Doha, how are you feeling now heading into Dubai?

  • Elise Mertens looking to build on strong season start with good run in Dubai

  • Much better now, not still 100 per cent but I’m practicing and feeling much better than I did in Doha. I had to skip Fed Cup week so it started already there and I didn’t practice much for the last couple of days so Doha wasn’t really the best for me but I’m getting better every day.

    How do you feel about your season so far?

    I think it was a solid start, similar to last year. I was defending a lot of points so it was kind of tough to start the season. Also I was sick in the offseason so it was tough just to start in great shape and with great results but overall it was very solid, it could be much worse, but I hope I can improve during the season.

    Was it just a regular flu during the offseason?

    Two times I got sick but I took antibiotics so it always takes some time to get better.

    You’ve been quite consistent over the past couple of seasons and have had some great results, do you feel that one big Grand Slam title is what you’re really waiting for at the moment?

    Of course. But I’ve been in big finals already, I’ve been playing big tournaments already for like four, five years so I know how it is to be there, I know how to beat the top players, I don’t want to put any extra pressure on myself. I think it comes with time. I need time to get better in some things so hopefully maybe if not this year, I have next year, I have so many years in front of me so there is no pressure.

    Getting crazy on my media day in Dubai 🤣👋

    A post shared by Karolina Pliskova (@karolinapliskova) on


    Caroline Wozniacki made her first Slam final in 2009. She won one more than eight years later last month at the Australian Open. Do you see that and think the chance is always there to finally get there?

    I think some girls, especially with women’s, maybe also with men’s, it comes with the age, so you feel more experienced and maybe what you’re missing when you’re 23 or 22 you find it when you’re 30. I think there are so many women who won a Grand Slam by 30 years old so I think there’s always a chance to get there and win those titles, even a few years later. I know I have a chance and I have a game that doesn’t cost me that much energy so I know I can play a few more years for sure.

    What do you think you’ve improved the most over the past 12 months?

    I think it’s the consistency, by not losing – okay it’s still happening – but by not losing to really worse players than I am. I always say I can beat the top players I think my game went so much up with all the experience, still practicing, still improving my fitness on the court so there are many things I got better at but for sure there are so many things I can improve.

    What was it like when you were young starting out in tennis, you and your twin sister Kristyna?

    Both parents were supporting us. They aren’t sports people, my father played ice hockey but not really tennis so nobody from our family played tennis. I think it was much easier to have a sister, and with the same age, that we could do a lot of things together, so it was like more fun, not really like hard practicing. That’s why I think we kept on playing and stuck with tennis and we enjoyed it when we were little.

    Were you guys like super-competitive with each other?

    We were and we still are. In everything, we just want to be better than the other one.

    Was there a point you felt tennis became more of a job than just the sport that you loved growing up?

    I think it happens automatically when you come from juniors to women’s, you take it more like a job because you start to play for money, you start to play in front of people paying for tickets to see, so it changes automatically.

    I’m still trying not to take it as a work but unfortunately there are days when you don’t want to get up and you don’t want to go on court but you still have to so sometimes it’s work but the tournament the matches I take as a fun, or as a hobby. I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m not always smiling on the court but I just try to enjoy it a little bit more. The tougher part is the practices and the gym and the sweating when you don’t really feel well.

    Last year you told me how much easier life on tour is when your boyfriend is travelling with you. Now you’re engaged. Is it nice to have other things to plan and look forward to besides just tennis?

    So far it didn’t change that much because we’re still in love, we’ve been together for two years, it’s just about the ring. For sure we are planning the wedding but with the schedule we have we are travelling so much there isn’t much time to really plan it, choose a date, where we want to do it. I want a small wedding, he wants it a little bit bigger so we’re still discussing it. It’s just nice to have somebody on tour, not being alone all the time, especially when you’re losing it’s just not easy to travel, practice and still play. I’m just happy he can be around me.

    Selfie Calendar… soon🤳 #charity

    A post shared by Karolina Pliskova (@karolinapliskova) on

    There are a few mums on tour like Tatjana Maria, Kateryna Bondarenko, Victoria Azarenka and now Serena Williams and Mandy Minella are coming back. Can you imagine yourself competing and travelling the tour as a mother?

    Not really for now. I still feel like okay I’m going to be 26 soon but I still feel like I’m pretty young for even having a baby, and then still to have a baby and be back on tour, maybe one day I’ll change my mind but for sure not now. I can’t imagine travelling with a baby and having so many things around happening. Maybe to somebody it’s going to help mentally that they feel better having their baby there but I think it’s not my case for now.

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