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U.S. OPEN

August 31, 2016

Jack Sock

New York, NY, USA

J. SOCK/M. Zverev

6-1, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is the feeling at this point in your career of getting to the third round of a major? Is it an accomplishment? Happiness? Where do the emotions lie with the two wins?
JACK SOCK: I mean, those Grand Slams were not in singles. Obviously singles is my priority and focus.

Q. I mean two wins at a Grand Slam, two rounds.
JACK SOCK: Oh, two wins at a Grand Slam.

Yeah, I mean, a couple years ago I would have been very satisfied with that and excited to be in the third round. Not that I expect to be there, you know, dissatisfied if I'm there, but, you know, I'm 24 next month. This is my sixth or seventh US Open. I've played a lot of Grand Slams.

I feel like my tennis is right there to be playing in the second week. I've only been able to do that a couple times at the slams. For me it's just more motivating getting through the first couple rounds, getting your feet wet at the slam.

More exciting than anything. Hopefully for me, my goal is to be playing in the second week of every slam that I'm playing now. I feel like my tennis is there. If I can just go out and keep producing, then good things will happen.

Q. Coming off of the Olympics, has it been a harder turnaround or has it differed from any other tournament versus what you've experienced in the past? Does it feel like there's any hangover, moving on you've needed to do since Rio?
JACK SOCK: I think, if anything, it's helped me in a lot of ways. You know, you're satisfied in other events if you make a semi or final, in whatever, singles, doubles, whatever you're playing well.

But there was something about the Olympics. I feel like my attitude and mentality since actually changed fairly drastically. I've enjoyed being out there more. Not necessarily less pressure, but I'm just having more fun out there.

I think, I don't know, there is something about being there, being part of Team USA, bringing home a gold medal and a bronze medal. Having that, I had an unreal week at home practicing and working out. Getting healthy with my lungs, but also practicing and working out.

Came this week very, very excited. Didn't know if I'd be tired from that or, like you said, have a little hangover, as they say, of the excitement.

But, if anything, I felt much more motivated, you know, excited to get out here since.

Q. You get a pinnacle four times a year. Some athletes get one pinnacle every four years. Did you talk to anybody about that in Rio?
JACK SOCK: Yeah. I actually became pretty good buddies with a guy on the fencing team, Miles Chamley-Watson. Lives here in NYC. Supposed to come to my match Friday night. If he doesn't, we're no longer friends.

I spent a long time talking to him. It is crazy being there. Obviously being a tennis player for us was massive and exciting to be there, but we also had the mentality of, for me, my biggest slam, my biggest tournament of the year in two weeks.

For every other athlete there, I think for him, he has a couple months off now. He trains and works out and gets ready for their next big competition. That's the same with a lot of athletes there. So it is definitely different in a lot of ways.

But it was definitely interesting to get to know other athletes and kind of see their schedules and hear about what they do. But it is different for tennis players knowing that we got a Grand Slam a week and a half later.

Q. I don't know if you got to watch Ryan Harrison today. What is your reaction in his 20th main draw in a Grand Slam, his first third round, the rollercoaster he's been on in his career?
JACK SOCK: First of all, incredible win. Obviously Milos has been playing some insane tennis, very, very good tennis. I ran into him at Wimbledon. He was playing really well. Made finals there and is playing with confidence for a while now. That's why he's been in the top 10 also for a while now.

For Harry, reached top 40 at a pretty young age and has had some ups and downs. I think for myself and I think for the other American players, in general American tennis, we're obviously ecstatic to have another guy advancing, especially a guy who works hard week in, week out and doesn't leave anything out there.

So for him, I'm definitely happy for him to be able to get through and get another win and string them along and help him with confidence. We know he can be a top 50, top 30, top 40 player. It's stringing those matches along, getting that confidence back. This will be a big one for him. Hopefully he can keep it going.

Q. You mentioned on the court of the fluorescent yellow outfits that some of the players are wearing. You've had some success. Your opponent was wearing a loud outfit. What do you think of these colors? Is this going to be a new superstition for you to wear?
JACK SOCK: I mean, not sure. We wear what we're given. I think it's a very cool outfit. Seeing the pictures, seeing other players playing in it, playing in it yourself, I think it looks really good.

Seems like a lot of companies have trended towards that. I think maybe because it's New York City and there's that electric feeling and a lot of buzz and excitement, anticipation, and I think the outfits fit perfectly with the day sessions, the night sessions. Crowds are really into it.

I think loud audiences and loud matches go with loud outfits.

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