Twenty days ago my physio asked me if I was if I never think that I can win a Grand Slam or be in final of Grand Slam, and I said no.
I am really proud of other things in my career: being in the top five, reaching the final of a grand slam twice. I'm actually even more proud of making it to the French Open final in 2010 than the previous year.
I still think that I'm dreaming. It's a strange feeling. I always try to watch the final of Grand Slams because that's where the best players are playing. ... I never expected to play a final. I never expected to win a Grand Slam. And right now I just did it.
I feel a lot of confidence from that memory, playing final first time in Grand Slam. But also I always think that I could play a little better in a final. I lost straight sets. I didn't do well.
I've been there, done that. I know what the emotions are getting into your first Grand Slam final.
I'm not the first player to have their home Grand Slam and not perform. There have been a few Australians and French players, you name it. It's a tough thing. But it is one of those things. Would I rather have a Grand Slam in my country than not? I would.
I'm not that good a player, and I'll be the first to admit that. I might be a three or four grand-slam winner; I might be a two grand-slam winner, I don't know.
This is a dream from when I was kid. I'm playing tennis almost 18 years, and of course everybody's dream is to play the final of a Grand Slam.
It's not easy getting to a Grand Slam final.
I got to one Grand Slam final, and that's what you shoot for as a player.
This will be my first Grand Slam final without Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic on the other side of the net, but I don't think being the more experienced player will make much difference to my approach.
Every match I won in a Grand Slam, I take confidence of that, and when I arrive in a final, I know my game is there.
Even when I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I would play Serena in a final of a Grand Slam.
Obviously, to win title, go in Grand Slam semi-final, is always super positive and good.
One thing that is 100% certain is that emotions are always incredibly high in a match and, I would imagine, definitely more so in a grand slam final.
Everyone is fighting like crazy because it's the last Grand Slam. When you play the Grand Slams, you just have to give everything you have.