Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (Vilagarc�a de Arousa, 2002) has become one of the sensations of this edition of Wimbledon on its own merits. The Galician has gone from not having added a single victory in ‘Grand Slam’ to qualifying for the third round after defeating her compatriot Cristina Bucsa. The young tennis player sits down with MARCA to reflect on the ‘boom’ caused by her good results on the London grass.
Ask. She has just beaten Cristina Bucsa and in the next round she will face another Czech who is also a great champion like Barbora Krejcikova.
Answer. I go without pressure, I will go calmly and let whatever has to happen happen. Obviously she will have all the pressure again because she is the top seed.
Q. Is the victory against the champion Marketa Vondrousova one of those that changes your life?
R. I don’t know if it changes my life, I think so, it has partly changed my life in one day. This sport is like that. You come to a tournament and something happens when those expectations aren’t there. There are more people who know you, much more visibility. On a personal level, nothing changes for me. I am going to continue going to train at the same place, with the same team, my family, my best friends… It has changed my life on an emotional level because I have lived one of the best moments.
I have not read any of my news nor have I put my name on Google
Q. Has the Jessica Bouzas ‘boom’ that is being experienced in Spain reached you?
R. If I’m honest, I haven’t read any news or put my name on Google. Normally, I don’t look for news about myself, sometimes they show me something or send me a screenshot. I am aware of what is happening in Spain, but perhaps a little less because I am here.
Q. These days you have reached 20 thousand followers on Instagram. Were you aware of the rise that has hit your social networks?
R. I know I am aware. In the end, I am 21 years old and, realistically, I do use my cell phone and Instagram is a social network that I use a lot. I have no idea how many followers I have increased, but I know the difference is noticeable. It’s quite noticeable in terms of notifications and I’ve had to silence them all.
Yes the rise on my social networks, I have had to silence the notifications
Q. After winning your first match you had a video call with your mother. What did he do this time at the end of the game?
R. I’ve changed a little because I was in the locker room and there are a lot of girls and I don’t like taking video calls there. I have done my routines: shower, massage, press… I will call my mother later calmly. What I did do is open my group of friends from Galicia. They always support me, whether here, 25,000 or 50,000. They give me a lot of life. I am very lucky with my friends.
Q. Did you have time to check how many messages you have received?
R. I don’t know how many messages I received, what I do know is that I have 450 unopened chats. It’s quite a lot and most of them already had them unopened before playing at Wimbledon. I try to respond to my close people. Everyone knows I’m grateful, but it’s crazy to answer so many people.
If I got tattoos with my impulses, I would be tattooed from top to bottom
Q. Tell me about your famous tattoos?
R. I have seven or eight, the truth is that I don’t count them. If I had all the impulses I have, I would be tattooed from top to bottom. I’m going to do another one at the end of Wimbledon about this tournament.
P. �Fresas con nata?
R. I don’t know, I don’t know, I have to think about it a lot and I’m not sure. I try to think a lot about the tattoos I get. It’s not that I like a drawing and I do it. I try to make everything have something symbolic and convey something to me. I’m going to get more tattoos 100 percent.
Q. One of your hobbies is horseback riding. Since when have you had this hobby and why?
R. It’s something strange because I was very little when I started to have that feeling with horses. My cousin had horses, my cousins ride and it’s a super cool feeling to be with those animals. Riding is dangerous and when I started playing tennis I didn’t ride. I also like to play soccer and I couldn’t do it. I chose tennis and went with everything. Now that I’m older I no longer have to ask my parents for permission and from time to time I go to an equestrian club in Madrid. I’m going to ride little by little and very calmly because it could cause an accident, it’s something you never know.
Q. Have you considered buying a horse?
R. I want to go little by little, but my dream would be to have a little house with a horse. It’s something that makes me especially excited since I was little.
