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U.S. OPEN

September 8, 2016

Angelique Kerber

New York, NY, USA

A. KERBER/C. Wozniacki

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So how does it feel to be the best player in the world?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It feels amazing. (Smiling.) I mean, yeah, it feels just great. I mean, the day came today, and to be now the No. 1 in the world, that was always a dream for me.

I was trying to not thinking too much the whole last few weeks about this, and now I reach it. So it's something really special for me, because, yeah, I was dreaming for this No. 1.

Q. You almost got it in Cincinnati, but do you remember when you first imagined as a small German girl that you might achieve this, that you might be the best?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I was always dreaming when I was really young. I remember the match also in Cincinnati where I have the chance to reach it with the win there.

But after that I was just telling myself, Okay, I mean, I will get one more chance.

Yeah, I get it now. It's something really special. Yeah, I don't know what to say, because I was just trying to focusing on this really tough match today against Caroline. I saw the match before also, Serena against Pliskova, so that was not so easy.

Now after I can relax a little bit and try to enjoy, yeah, this special night today.

Q. Finally, what do you say to Steffi?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: You know, to be the next German No. 1 in the world after Steffi, it's really special. It's an honor for me.

Yeah, it's just incredible, actually.

Q. You won the sportsmanship award. What's that mean to you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: That means a lot, because I'm always trying to playing fair play. I mean, to get this trophy now, it means a lot, because, yeah, it shows me that, yeah, I know or I'm on a good way what I'm doing off and on court.

Q. Watching that match before as you're trying to prepare for this match, how much does that rattle you? And then, also, what were your thoughts as you're watching that first match unfold?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I watch especially the last few points. I knew it will be tough one because I know Pliskova plays very good in the last few weeks. I play against her in Cincinnati.

Yeah, it was not so easy to go then on court, because I knew it actually before that if Serena lost, of course, that I will be the No. 1. So it was not so easy mentally, but I was trying to, again, not putting too much pressure on myself.

That shows me also that I think I'm growing and I'm not putting the pressure on my shoulders if something like this happen. I can go out there focusing on my game. That gives me also a lot of confidence with the situation, how I deal it today.

Q. What do you remember about how you felt both physically and emotionally going into that Cincinnati final? How different do you think you feel now about three weeks later?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I remember the Cincinnati final. I was actually really tired because I came from Rio and I had a lot of tough matches there.

Here I have one day off tomorrow, so I can really prepare for the final against Pliskova. I know how she is playing. I know she has a big serve.

Yeah, I think I will go out there trying to get my next chance against her and take the revenge, of course.

Q. I understand that you and Caroline are really good friends and even been on vacation together. How is it to play against your friend? Are you still friends after today?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: It's always not so easy because we know each other very good. I know how she is playing; she knows how I am playing. We played so many matches in the past and always close, and today I think the match was really close. The score is actually not so close, but the match was tough.

Yeah, it's not so easy, but we both trying to giving our best on court, and after the match we are still friends. (Smiling.)

Q. I spoke to Karolina after the first-round victory, and she said then that she came into this tournament filled with a lot of confidence with her win against you, and then the one against Venus helped her to build on confidence to take on Serena. She's I think right now probably about as confident as she's ever been in her career. The person you will face in the final is going to be, mentally, anyway, a more difficult opponent. Talk about what you expect from that match.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: For sure she has a lot of confidence. Now especially against the win against Serena. She will go out there and try and win her first Grand Slam, but at the end I will try the same. I know it will be mentally for me also very tough because she know that she won against me like few weeks ago.

But at the end I know how I was playing in Cincinnati. I know what to change. I will talk with my coach about the game and I will try to take the challenge again against her.

Yeah, trying to win the match the next one.

Q. Just talk about the way you played today against an opponent who is, you know, playing some great tennis here.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, I mean, I think it's her second home here. She loves to play here. I was trying to playing my game. I know she's moving very well. She's fighting until the last point. I knew what to expect, but I was trying not to -- not thinking too much about her game.

I was trying to thinking how I was playing here the last few weeks, also the last few months, and trying to go like this on court, being aggressive and taking my chances.

So I think I played a really good match, and, yeah, because I have to against Caroline.

Q. Would part of you have liked to face Serena in the finals, or are you actually relieved that you don't have to face her now?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I knew actually that it will be a tough match against Pliskova, Serena against Pliskova.

But, you know, I was actually not thinking about this one. I was more focusing on my game. Not thinking too much. Now I can think about who I am playing, but before I was not thinking too much, yeah, about the other semis.

Q. Did you see Serena after? Did she congratulate you?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No, I didn't see her.

Q. You talked about the mental differences for you now as opposed to when you played a few weeks ago against Pliskova. From a tactical standpoint, what do you think is the most important thing for you to have success against her in this match Saturday?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think my serve have to be very good. I have to move good, as well, to bring a lot of balls back, and playing also more aggressive like I played in Cincinnati. I was just pushing too much the balls there, so I think I will change this a little bit. Go for it, being aggressive.

Yeah, I hope my serve will be good on Saturday.

Q. You were up 4-love to Wozniacki, and I know it may sound chauvinistic, but when you played Vinci I had the impression that you were more tense because you had three times behind one break and so on. Do you think there was a difference in terms of, you know, being on court and suffering? Did you suffer more with Vinci than with Wozniacki? That's the question. The first one.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Good one.

Q. And the second one.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I'm not thinking about this, actually, you know. I went on court and I was trying to playing every single point. I was not thinking too much about the score and about the things around. I was trying to playing more point by point.

Vinci and Caroline, they are both tough players and different a little bit. Yeah.

Q. Did you suffer more today or the other day?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: (Shaking head.)

Q. You don't want to say.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No. (Laughter.)

Q. You're the oldest to debut at No. 1 in the rankings history, and I want to know what you think about that and what it says about the sport. Secondly, were you prepared for this kind of success this year coming into the season, the slam, three finals?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Actually, not really, because last year when I played a good year, I mean, I won four titles. I played -- yeah, I was still in the top 10 at the end of the year.

And then I sit down with my coach, and we said, Okay, what we have to improve? And I was trying to improving my game, being more aggressive, and not just playing from the defensive end.

Yeah, when I won my first Grand Slam in Australia and we came back I had much more confidence. I had much more belief in my game, about my improvement.

And then I was just trying to get used to this pressure, all the stuff what's happen after Australia.

I don't know if I was like prepared for this, but I think I played amazing year. I mean, it's my third Grand Slam final now in one year, so I just try to enjoy it. I just try to stay relaxed and just try to play like I'm playing the last few months.

Q. A few years ago when we would watch you compete there would be a lot of eye rolling, you know, negative body language, kind of sarcastic clapping, things like that. We don't see much of that anymore. Can you talk about your evolution just as a competitor on the court and what's changed for you and how you got it to change?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I was trying to change this, and I think I improve very well. I was trying to be more positive than I was the last few years, because I know that the body language is really important.

I lost a lot of matches with this stuff, because I was frustrated. When I missed one shot I was like thinking about the shot the next few minutes and few shots.

So this is what I was trying also during my practices. Just, yeah, looking ahead and just point by point. Sometimes you have this situation where you are really negative actually because you lose a point or you make an easy mistake.

But in this moment I'm really trying to be mentally strong and not showing my opponent that I'm inside actually a little bit more negative and nervous. Trying to stay positive. I think the change also my game that I believe more and going for it when I have the chance and not waiting about the mistakes from my opponent.

Q. After you won in Australia you had a celebratory swim in Melbourne's wonderful Yarrow River. We have some great rivers here. Would you give us equal time, please?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: No. I think that was once and that was okay. (Laughter.) Let's see what we will do if I win it here, but I think we will just decide it when it's happen.

Q. A former and great champion, Pete Sampras, said once, "I like the racquet to do the talking." The racquet wasn't that funny. We didn't enjoy that much. Can you tell us something that you would tell to your friends, intimate friends, mother, that would be more fun for us to listen to? Sometimes you're too predictable. I would like some story to write.
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know what you want to hear. I don't know. (Smiling.)

Q. Now you're talking to your mother. What do you tell her?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: I don't know. I mean, right now I think they are all proud about my No. 1 situation, about the game I am playing. I think also about my improvement what I did the last few months. I think this is now really special.

Yeah, that I'm growing with all the situation, all the stuff what I'm dealing with. It's not so easy, and I think this is the biggest thing what I'm proud about it.

Q. Emotions?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Emotions, yes.

Q. A lot?
ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yes, a lot (Smiling.)

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