U.S. OPEN

September 10, 1994

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think she was playing really well and I was a little bit tentative. I just ---I was not playing as deep as I did maybe in the second set, but she start playing really well and I was down 6-1 really fast, but I thought in my mind that nothing was happening and if I was keep fighting and trying to come back and try to win the second set, you know, could be different and that is what I thought, keep fighting. I start playing much better more aggressive and everything, you know, turned around and we were one set all and after that, you know, I keep playing well and I won the match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think I am very happy with the year I have been having, and I am there and I won two Grand Slams this year, but, you know, I am still No. 2 and Steffi is still No. 1, so I don't know who is the best player, but I think I am very proud what I did and maybe you can say better, I don't know.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Maybe, I won two Grand Slams and I have been so consistent, maybe I can probably be the best player of the year; but I am very, you know, very proud what I did and she -- Steffi is still a great player, great champion and she is still No. 1, by the computer rankings, so -- maybe playing, you know, I have been doing much better than her, but I think I am very happy with that and that is all I can say.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think I know how it feels to win the French Open. I did it in '89 and then nobody was picking me to win at the French Open and I did it again. So I realize that I am having very good confidence with myself and I am not only a claycourt player. Now, you know, say to everybody that I can also win on hardcourts, and I think, you know, winning here is very special for me because after winning the French, you know, the next Grand Slam I wanted to win here and now I did it. So, I am very proud and, I mean, I don't have much words to say. I am really excited.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I know she had a back problem, and I know she feels okay, but I think that I never tried to think that she was hurt. I think that she played really well since the beginning and she was hitting the ball, you know, really well, and I just, you know, started to be more aggressive and probably put good volleys away and keep concentrating, you know, never give up, and keep fighting. So when I won the second set, I'd know everything was differently, but I know she was hurt, but I thought that she was still playing even good match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, I was really concentrated on trying to play my best and leave the court as happy as I can saying that I played my best, and finally, you know, I keep fighting and I thought that I have some chances and finally, you know, when I have matchpoint and I saw the ball, you know, going out, I said, "Well, I did it," so...

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I can tell you that I know that I saw the ball fall in a little bit, but with the wind, you never know if the ball was going to go in or not. Finally, when I saw that, you know, it went out, I just, you know, threw the racket and looked upstairs and said, "Thank you," you know, I was really excited and my dream come real, to win the U.S. Open for the first time. I am really happy.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think that was a very good feeling when you have the crowd with you. Finally, I have it once. I have been having the crowd with the other players and I can tell you that, you know, in the first set she played really well and I start playing better in the second set and I can see the crowd going behind you and helping you to do better and I start feeling more comfortable, you know, with more support, and I see the crowd getting so excited, you know, saying, "Come on Arantxa. Let's go. You can do it," and I think it is a great feeling to see that and that is why I never give up. I just think that you have your chances and if you keep fighting, anything can turn around, and that is what happened today.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. No, I think that the opposite, even that the crowd was with her the third set, but then come back and start going with me, I thought I keep concentrating, play my best and try to be a little bit more aggressive and things turned differently and I start winning more points and she start missing more because she saw me at the net and that was the difference between the first set, second set and third set.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I know that I have to be a little bit more aggressive and maybe sometimes I try to make, you know, the point too fast and I make unforced errors and she make good winners, but even it was close, I thought that I was doing the right thing, I just keep going doing the same concentrate and be positive with myself, and that has been helping me during the whole match, and, you know, I was happy to win the second set and then I knew it was very important to start really well in the beginning of the third set, and then things would turn differently and a lot more chances to do better.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, she didn't have words. She couldn't say anything at all, the same as me. We just give a big hug and we were both crying and we both say, you know, she said to me, "I am very proud of you," and I just you know, say that, "I did my dream come true to win here," and we both, you know, keep -- couldn't say anything else.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I wasn't surprised. I knew how much money it was. But it's the biggest check I get -- well, many, many times, so I was kind of a little bit like, you know, "give me air", because I mean, it is a great prize and big difference to win there and losing the final, but I think it was great and I couldn't, you know, hold my surprise. I mean, my face was kind of"Wow."

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I know she is too good. That is why she is No. 1 ranked player in the world. I think that I know she starts sometimes playing the same as she did today, but I never look how fast she beat me the first set. I just thought that she was playing really well. I was a little bit tentative, and I decided that if I tried-- if I wanted to keep alive in the match I just try to do something differently. That is when I start attacking a little bit more; winning more points, and then she start you know, getting little more -- wanted to try to do the point too fast and everything gets, you know, differently. But I think -- even I lost 6-1 so fast, with myself I tried to be as positive as I can and said to myself well, "try to play the best you can, and leave the court as happy as you can, and if you win, great, if you lose, leaving the court saying well, I played well and she was better than me," but that is all, you know, I thought on that moment.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, what I want now is keep enjoying the year I have been having and then, you know, try to keep working, you know, as good and, you know, next year will be another year and try to see if I can, you know, maybe going to see if I can be No. 1, but you know, keep enjoying myself being you know, keep improving and, you know, see what happens. But definitely you know, maybe try to see if I can maybe win Wimbledon, that would be great.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, I think on that situation sometimes you know, one side of the court was harder to serve with the wind and even you hit a hard serve the ball was not moving at all. So I just tried to continue, you know, doing the ball -- the ball be deep and so she would not be in position to make the winners so fast. But I think she still make good serves when she needed to, and, you know, she came with an unbelievable serves, you know, when I was on the second set and she come back, but I know that she is one -- she is one of the players that -- that serves better on the circuit; then I handle it better and after I return it better. I think even when she wanted to have a good serve, she made it. So she keep playing very well.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: When was that? Was is that matchpoint.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I don't remember that. I don't know. I know that there were a lot of points that she was in the net and she asked to play a couple of volleys to finish them up, I mean, like you said, I don't remember that point, but. . .

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I know that I picked the spot, you know, and she hit the first one and I said, "well, I have to go one side or the other" and I went to the right side and I hit a good forehand and I think even I just tried my best and keep fighting, if I win the point, that is fine. If she made the point, I keep trying to do, you know, doing my best and anything could happen if I turned the match around and I keep fighting, won the second set and after that it was different. But there were some points that maybe she thought that she make the point was over, but I came back with hitting a good shots and although I lost some points too, but I think it was we both playing very well and I thought that when I needed to play a good point, I did it well. I am very happy about it.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think I can tell you is that I am going-- I will celebrate really well with all my family; all my friends who came, and they supported me today and definitely I will celebrate because I think it is a good win and very good day to celebrate.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah, it has always been great support and my parents have been there. My family has always been been very important in my life and I think that now I am paying what they have been sacrificeing for me when I was young and I think I am very proud to have my parents. They are my best friends; seeing them in the crowd supporting, be nervous also, but I am very happy. Very emotional. We are all happy about it and it is a great feeling.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think she is the No. 1 player ranked in the world, so when you beat the best player, that is the most exciting day you can have because you know you beat the best player in the world, so I know I did it two other times before and today maybe if I was playing really well, I can do it again and I did it. So I am just going going to tell you that it is the happiest day of my life at the moment and the biggest win, if you want to win a Grand Slam, beat the No. 1 player in the world.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I do not think my parents will allow me to have another dog.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I have two. I think it is enough. Winning here is something very special for me and I am very proud to, you know, win it for the first time and have my name on the trophy as a champion.