WTA Finals 2021 media day roundup: Muguruza thrilled to be playing in Latin America

The Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara gets underway Wednesday with Group Teotihuacán, comprised of No.2 seed Barbora Krejcikova, No.3 Karolina Pliskova, No.6Garbiñe Muguruza and No.8 Anett Kontaveit.

From Muguruza's unbridled excitement to play the first WTA Finals hosted in Latin America, to Kontaveit's laser focus, here's what the players had to say on the eve of the tournament:

Garbiñe Muguruza on Guadalajara hosting the first WTA Finals in Latin America

"To be really honest, I never thought that Latin America would hold a Masters Final just because it is very complicated, many aspects. When Steve [Simon, WTA CEO and Chairman] said that Guadalajara was an option, I was like, 'Oh, my God, are you sure?' You mean Guadalajara, Mexico, right, not another Guadalajara? I was so nervous to make it happen. Now I want it even more.

"It's always great to play the WTA Final, but not the same for me playing China to playing Latin America. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That had a big effect on me. It's great because tennis in Latin America, women's tennis is not a priority. Now people can see it. I feel like now it's possible that which seemed impossible.

"I hope other countries are going to get more excited. It would be amazing to have a little tour in South America at some point during the calendar."

Karolina Pliskova, who has played the past four WTA Finals, on being the most experienced player in the field

"This is not a usual tournament. Of course, you play different, you have these groups. It happened to me that you lose, you play the other day and you have to win. There is many things going on here, not just like you lose you go home, you win you continue. It's not a normal tournament.

"I think that experience can help me or should help me. On the other hand, I see so many of the young girls here who are playing for the first time, they're so excited. I think sometimes this excitement can be dangerous because they are happy that they are here, they don't care about anything else.

"They all had a great year, of course. Some of them, they had the last couple months, crazy, really good. Anett is still in my group, Paula winning Indian Wells, so there is a couple of them who played well, maybe they played earlier well. Depends of course how everybody feeling right now.

"Definitely I want to take advantage of the experience that I played already four times."

Anett Kontaveit on staying focused after her 10-match winning streak to finish the season and qualify

"Genuinely I thought after winning Moscow, I'd feel some sort of relief. I thought after winning Transylvania, I would feel relief, just relaxed. But it still hasn't happened.

"I feel like I'm still in the zone of trying to keep doing as well as I can, hopefully get some good matches, just sort of really focus on just the task that I have, just the process, the progress that I'm trying to do and enjoy the matches. I think that's been my main focus so far.

"I had no idea how I was going to handle this. I don't feel like I'm just really relaxed and just enjoying the place, although I am. I'm really trying to take the experience in, but I also feel like all of my focus is on the matches."

Muguruza on the influence of two Spanish players qualifying for the WTA Finals

"It's been a long time, 21 years, since two Spanish players were qualified both for the Finals. It's a great achievement to have two players in the top of the elite.

"I feel like this is going to motivate young girls from Spain, from Latin America, that they can relate to and hear us talk, get a more familiar feeling of tennis, not always seeing far or foreigner players. I feel like this time they can be more close to us."

Muguruza's take on Group Teotihuacán

"I think I got the toughest group. I know Karolina is more experienced, of course, playing the Finals. I feel like Krejcikova is having a great year and winning a major. Kontaveit, she has the biggest confidence, like crazy confidence. It's going to be a tough group. The other group is also tough, of course.

"I'm going to have to play well and manage to get to the semifinal. That's the whole point of the round robin, to get those matches on your way."

Krejcikova on her decision to play the Billie Jean King Cup a week before the WTA Finals

"Every time I have a chance to represent Czech Republic, I'm just not going to pull out from that. So for me, it was really a decision from my heart that I want to represent my country and that I want to play this tournament and also to play back home in Czech Republic in Prague in our biggest arena. I've been actually going there many, many times before, especially when the other girls, the generation before, like, Petra and Lucie, all these girls have been playing the finals and winning the trophy. For me, it was already back then something special. It was really, really motivational.

"I just really wanted to have this experience and I really wanted to represent my country. When I found out it's going to be Billie Jean King Cup there, after it's going to be Guadalajara here, I had, like, no questions. I'm going to do both tournaments.

"I know it's going to be really, really difficult, but that's what I wanted to do. I mean, I think the decision for me was good and I think it was coming from my heart. I feel good about it."

Krejcikova on her first WTA Finals

"Very, very difficult group. I'm just really looking forward to play all these girls because they are just amazing and they have really, really good results, just on top of the game right now. I think it's really nice to be able to play against them and see where my level is right now."