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U.S. OPEN

August 28, 2017

Steve Johnson

New York, NY, USA

S. JOHNSON/N. Almagro

6-4, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That had to be a satisfying win.
STEVE JOHNSON: Yeah, very. Any time you can get to a Grand Slam and get through day one in straights is definitely a win, but definitely a great win, you know, both tennis-wise, emotionally, everything put together.

Q. Do the days get any easier right now? I know everybody says it gets easier, but it doesn't.
STEVE JOHNSON: Sometimes. I mean, some days, you know, you can process it all and take it in stride. Some days the littlest things will set you off.

I'm just taking it day by day. I have been doing a better job the last few weeks in the summer with managing my emotions on the court and not letting things slip away.

Q. How are you managing your emotions? Are you doing anything special to manage those emotions?
STEVE JOHNSON: No, just to -- I know they're going to be there, but, you know, kind of be practical about them, you know, don't let, you know, the highs, you know, take you or the lows take you. Because those thoughts come and, you know, I'm guessing it will get easier. I don't know if they will ever go away, but it's just something that I'm trying my best to, you know, deal with day by day.

You know, the more matches I play, the easier I think, I mean, I hope it's going to get. And some days it just is a bit easier than others.

Q. So was today one of those days?
STEVE JOHNSON: Yeah, I was able to get through it, play, you know, some good points in the tiebreakers, get up and get through it. You know, I'm glad to be in here right now, not playing a fourth or a fifth potentially.

You know, if I can get through days like that, I'm pretty happy with how the day went.

Q. Who's here with you this week?
STEVE JOHNSON: You know, Craig is here; Vahe Assadourian, who we work with in LA; Sam and myself; Christian Locascio; my fiancee, Kendall; her parents have been here the last few days and their close family friends have been here. It's been a good group. Have had a really enjoyable last few days in New York, got up here late from Winston.

Just enjoyed friends and family, having good meals. I think it's a good way to kind of enjoy it, because this is -- you know, we're blessed to be doing this and try and make the most of it.

Q. Is New York an easy place to kind of hide?
STEVE JOHNSON: Yes and no. I'm not a big New York fan.

Q. I hear that a lot.
STEVE JOHNSON: I grew up in Southern California, which is a bit more laid off, a bit more peaceful. Where I live now, nobody seems to be in a hurry. Here everybody seems to be in a hurry, which is fine. I enjoy the excitement and the buzz for this couple of weeks.

I don't know if I could live in Manhattan year round and do it -- I don't know, like, a lot of my college friends have done it and have loved it. I don't know if I'd be the same way.

Q. So you're talking about the highs and lows. I'm doing an article about the psychology of dealing with long rallies and also long games, both during them and kind of immediately after. One question I have about losing weight and stuff, does being fitter change the way you approach a long rally and game now?
STEVE JOHNSON: Yes and no. I'm still going to play the way I played. You don't overhaul your game, you know. You do what you do and you just keep doing it better and better and you work on your strengths and weaknesses and everything.

But being in better shape, being fitter, it just gives you another tool to hopefully, if the day is not going so well tennis-wise, it gives you that luxury of, okay, you know, I can maybe not go for as much, play longer rallies, kind of find my way back into the match and feel comfortable doing that.

More or less it just gives me another chance to, you know, if the tennis isn't going well, forehand is not working, the serve, you name it, to just kind of outwork the other guy and use my legs that day rather than maybe my tennis skills.

Q. The long rally in that sense can be to your advantage?
STEVE JOHNSON: Yes, of course. Yeah.

Q. What about in terms of right after, you know, and not necessarily in the second or third game of a match? You won in straight sets, but all the sets were obviously very close. At crucial moments, if you have a 10 deuce game or 15-shot, 20-shot rally, on the next point, do you look to keep it shorter?
STEVE JOHNSON: No.

Q. Or you think I'm in better shape than this guy, I will make him work?
STEVE JOHNSON: Depends who you're playing, of course, but I know I have put in the work and I know the work I have put in sets me up for that situation. So I know I feel comfortable doing that.

So, I mean, there is definitely certain guys where you feel more comfortable playing long points and long rallies against because you know you're in better shape than that. But guys are in good shape out here. It's not an easy sport to be a professional in.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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