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U.S. OPEN

September 11, 2016

New York, NY, USA

MATTEK SANDS-SAFAROVA/Garcia-Mladenovic

2-6, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You like that?
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: We were just looking at the names.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: Pretty good company.

Q. Your names will join those names. How does that feel?
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: That's pretty cool.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: Amazing.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: Some greats on there. I just noticed that Martina Hingis won it in '98. That's pretty impressive for her to be No. 1 right now, or 2.

Q. So talk about, first of all, you guys were down. What a turnaround in the second set; obviously carried it right into the third. Talk about the match.
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: Yeah, you know what? It was a little bit of a slow start, but I've gotta give credit to our opponents. They came out playing big, serving big, making all their rolls, ripping returns.

You know, I think one of the things that we do really well is we don't get too down no matter what the score is. We're really positive.

It was funny. I think Lucie had more energy than me. She was carrying me on her back and getting me pumped up.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: Any time.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: But that's what good friends and partner do. It happens sometimes. You play a team that's playing good or you might not be making all the shots, but any match can turn around in a couple of points.

That's just a matter of sticking to it.

Q. You guys seem like you're genuinely good friends.
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: Or we're really good at faking it. I don't think we're that good of actors, otherwise I might have to consider a career switch.

Q. Talk about the chemistry between the two of you. How much does that contribute now, just your third Grand Slam title?
LUCIE SAFAROVA: It's amazing. Third.

No, I think the chemistry is great. We complement each other so well. Our games just fit. We have done so well in all the tournaments, and now this year has been tough year for us because I have been out for half a year with my sickness and missed Australia.

Then Bethanie broke her finger just before French Open, so that kind of like...

But we both stick together and believed that once we are again strong, healthy --

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: Feeling good.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: -- and feeling that we can do this, and we did, so it's amazing.

Q. Going forward, are you sniffing a career Grand Slam?
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: We actually just got asked that on the court now. They were talking about Wimbledon. I was like, We have so many tournaments before Wimbledon. I don't even know if we can start to think about it.

I mean, really, we're enjoying the moment. I mean, this is a huge win. I mean, we both looked at each other and we said, We have a US Open trophy right now. I think especially being 9/11, it's really a big thing to enjoy the people you're with, enjoy the moment. I get a little emotional.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: No, our thoughts and prayers are with the families. I know it's a tough day for everyone.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: So it was really special to win it today, I think.

Q. Can you talk about how you first got together?
LUCIE SAFAROVA: My coach Rob.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: Yeah, it was a blind date, actually. We both didn't have partners for Australia.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: You were coming back after injury.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: I hadn't actually played a lot of doubles. I actually didn't have a ranking. Lucie took a chance on me. (Smiling.)

It was like, all right, come on.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: Knew here before but not so well and never played obviously together. Then I asked her if we should do like Sydney before the Australian Open. She's like, No, I'm playing with Sania already.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: I was like, We'll be good. We'll just roll with it in Australia. All good.

LUCIE SAFAROVA: And then we won the Grand Slam.

BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: That's pretty good.

Q. It's an Olympic year and so any teams that are like different countries, I'm sure you maybe would have thought, maybe I should play, like, Bethanie, full time with Coco theoretically or Lucie practiced with Barbora, and even with injuries and everything, you stuck together as a tour team. Can you talk through that decision? Was it ever tenuous at all?
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: I don't think so. I mean, I played with Coco at Indian Wells. I think just kind of with my track record, I feel, you know, either I mesh with a partner or I don't.

I don't feel like I need, you know, 50 tournaments to get used to. I was really confident going into the Olympics with Coco. And if something happened to Lucie where she couldn't play, you know, playing with Coco was fun.

Me and Lucie talked about our schedule and we really stuck to that, because that's what we had talked about. It wasn't -- I didn't feel like I needed to kind of play a guessing game, you know, whether it was with Coco or with Lucie.

I felt confident with both of them by me. Me and Lucie, had a lot of fun here. (Giving dap.)

Q. As an American, 9/11 has touched people from all nationalities around the world. As an American, to be playing on this very heavy, significant day, winning a Grand Slam in your home country, I mean, I can only imagine the emotions that you must have felt.
BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS: Yeah, and actually when we got to the locker room the news was on when they were reading all the names. You know, it kind of put things in perspective. As much fun as we're having and as much joy as we get out of competing and all of the glitz and glamour of, you know, playing the finals of the US Open, it's humbling to know that you don't know what's going to happen in the future.

You know, it's something where I just -- I really appreciate the moment, my family, and my friends, because you don't know what's going to happen.

You know, I really -- it is an emotional day. And it was funny. I was going to retire my American flag socks after the gold medal match. I said, You know what? For the final of the US Open, 9/11, have to bring them out. Had a great crowd and great support. It was really special for me to win it here today in New York.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297

U.S. OPEN

September 11, 2016

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Lucie Safarova