Timea Bacsinszky Q&A: On her second career, pressure and new territory

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Timea Bacsinszky has been like a different player since coming out of retirement in 2014, winning two titles and reaching No. 10 in the rankings. The 26-year-old from Switzerland came into the season off an injury, but has gotten back on track with terrific runs in Indian Wells and Miami. She took some questions from TENNIS.com while speaking to a small group of journalists in Indian Wells.

It’s your second year as a top player, and now you have to start defending points and backing up some of your performances. Do you feel pressure, or do you feel confidence because you've done it before?

Well, if you think all the time about the points you have to defend, you can put pressure on yourself. But I was, all the time, trying to see [the] long-term. I don't care if I don't defend the points. I didn't defend the points I had at the beginning of this year, and nothing happened.

Long-term means to me that I'm really trying every match, every practice.

Yeah, I try to improve in every section of my game, also mentally. That's why, points, they're here, they're there. If you play well, you're going to get points anyway.

A lot of top players have gotten off to tough starts this season. Is there a common reason, or does everyone have their own reason?

I think everybody has their own reasons. [Angelique] Kerber was on top the first month of the year; I was still trying to pick up physically.

You know, when you play really good [for] a year, as well, not so many people knew your game.

Then you see more videos of yourself, you know people are chatting more about you. They try to see how to beat you. You are a top player, You walk on court and you know the other one is going to be ready to beat you. It's not going to be like, ‘OK, she might be not that fit today.’ For myself, I know that the players in 2014, they didn't take me [as] seriously [as] they are taking me now. In 2014, [in] my first career that I had before I started again, I wasn't the fittest player. I had many troubles inside; anything could happen in a match. But now this is obviously not happening anymore. I think I've been pretty constant in that.

They are all prepared [if it's a top player]. There is not a big difference between being No. 100 and No. 20. Only people think there is a huge difference.

Even No. 500 can really play [good] tennis. It's a question of how long you can bring up this level; if you can bring it up for one set, for two sets, for a match. [For] two matches or the whole tournament, one month or six months. This is the difference.

But here, all players can have a wonderful day and play super well against you. But you have to find [a way]. It's like [the] mastermind game.

What's the secret to being able to play well for long periods?

I don't know. I'm new at it. I'm going to try to see what it is myself first, probably going to keep it as well—how I'm doing it.

But I really believe in hard work [and] commitment, not only when you're super happy to play … For me, this is commitment—to be ready all the time when I have to play the first match.