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U.S. OPEN

September 5, 2018

Sascha Bajin

New York, NY, USA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So many players here that we have talked to this week who have been here before talked about how a couple of matches of experience, especially when they're playing on Ashe, helped them so much. How do you kind of make up for that difference or that lack of experience with Naomi? Is it about mindset? Is it telling her to stay focused? Anything like that?
SASCHA BAJIN: I think it's like a little bit of everything. I believe that Naomi is one of those individuals who really craves the big stage, so that definitely helps her competing out there and helps my part to, you know, not take it too easy on her and that she has to calm down. She always plays better on the big stages than she does on any of the other courts. So makes my job a lot easier.

Q. What are a few of the things that you brought, from working with Serena, brought to her game? She's really become one of the bigger hitters on the tour now. What are some of the things that you worked on that were similar with Serena?
SASCHA BAJIN: I mean, she's been a big hitter before I started with her. She had this power. It's not that I added to her. She knew how to play tennis. She maybe didn't know quite how to handle it or control it. Didn't quite know when to pull the trigger, when not to. Maybe didn't know that there was even other ways of putting pressure on the opponent by just pace off the ball.

So I was trying to kind of maintain the raw power, and then, at the same time, also show that there are other ways of creating pressure on the opponent. But they are completely different, you know, Serena and Naomi.

Q. When you first started working with her and maybe your friends or colleagues asked you, you know, "So how is she," what did you tell them?
SASCHA BAJIN: I thought she was a very sweet girl. You know, I had the wrong impression, I have to say, when I first met her, because she's so quiet, shy, and reserved, and I thought she just didn't want to talk to anybody if she chose to.

But, no, the first moment when I came out to Boca and we had that little hit, she seemed like a very sweet girl, you know. What I really love about Naomi is that, like, she really preserved that innocence somehow. So if she's sad, she's gonna show it. If she's happy, she's gonna show it. There is no fake emotions. There is no fakeness or anything like it. It's just very raw, pure emotions. And that makes it easy for me to also understand her, because it's -- you know, my job is a lot based on emotions, as well. Yeah, it's just very fun. It's been very fun and beautiful to work with her so far.

Q. Yesterday you said that maybe pressure on Naomi would get higher, because everybody expects her to win. But actually, the press conference, she said she already went back to business as usual. How do you think about her? How do you feel about having this kind of press conference as a coach?
SASCHA BAJIN: It sucks. (Smiling.)

No, I'm very happy that she said that she didn't feel pressure, you know, that she could block it all out. I know that she has high expectations about herself, that she's a perfectionist.

Yeah, I'm glad that, you know, that she doesn't feel like that anymore. That's a big step.

And then, yeah, I'm glad I'm here and I could help you guys understand the game and Naomi. I also tell Naomi a lot of times that pressure is a good thing, that the more expectations people have from her on the outside, she must be doing something right, because if there are no pressure or expectations, then you're nobody. I'm very happy to tell her she should use it in some kind of way in a good way.

Q. How would you describe her public persona and her persona behind the scenes in your coaching interactions?
SASCHA BAJIN: I think she's very open. She's maybe sometimes too open with you guys, and I want her to not say certain things and she actually does say it. She's very open with you.

She threw me under the bus in a lot of other conferences what I saw later. I remember even in Indian Wells. A lot of times I ask her, How are you? She's, like, No, I'm good, I'm good. And then she would be a lot more detailed in her actual press conferences. So I would have to watch them at night to understand even more the next day.

So you're welcome. You should be happy about that. You should be happy about that.

Q. She's very sweet, almost vulnerable, but she's got to have the heart of a killer at some level to be doing what she's doing. Where does that manifest itself to you? How do you keep that going?
SASCHA BAJIN: So that's funny, because we had this conversation in Wimbledon where this killer instinct was brought up. You know, she had this conversation with our strength and conditioning coach, and somehow I jumped in, came around the corner, and then she was, like, Hey, Sash, when you used to play -- I used to play my low-level tournaments -- she said, You had that killer instinct, too, right?

I was, like, No.

She was, like, What? How come?

I tried to tell her that not everybody has it and I believe that not everybody is born with it. So I just enjoyed the competitiveness, but it wasn't so much for me about winning. And, for me, working with Naomi now, I took a different approach the past few weeks where I told her, Don't focus so much on the outcome and the result, because that's nothing you can control. Just focus on what you can do each shot, each rally, and each day in order, you know, to be low, be ready early, try to get over that ball, like these little things, and then whatever happens with the score, that's just added bonus.

But I believe sometimes she would base her performance a lot on the score itself and on the outcome to where, like, the Sakkari match where she lost, she was just devastated. I was still very proud of her, because she came back in that match and displayed beautiful composure and will and grits and fighting.

And as long as she just competes and focuses on herself, because what I'm trying to tell her, then the score is going to be all right, and that's secondary for me.

Q. Staying on the same line, kind of, tell me about her being raw emotionally. Is that a positive or a negative on a court?
SASCHA BAJIN: I think it's a positive thing if you can manage it. You know, if Naomi gets a better hold of it -- I think there were a couple of matches in the past, it's not a secret, she would get a little bit negative and down on herself just because things aren't going her way.

But I think slowly she's finding a way to get herself out of it and not allowing so many negative emotions in her life. She's just doing it because she wants to do so well and she wants to be better.

But, yeah, some people feed off it. If you would have told John McEnroe, You have to be positive, he'd be looking at you, like, What are you talking about? To him it really helped.

For Naomi, I believe she needs that positive mindset on court in order to look what is working and what I can do instead of thinking what isn't working so much and why isn't it working, just to look, Okay, this is working, I can work with that, and that's how I can win the match.

Q. This incredible sense of innocence that she has, many say that's one of the reasons she's so appealing. Tennis is such a fierce, tough, competitive world. Do you think it's really good that she brings that to tennis? Do you think she can sustain it?
SASCHA BAJIN: I think everybody in this room and on this planet can learn a lot from that girl in order to maintain that innocence.

I believe the more open we are and the more honest we are and show vulnerability sometimes and who we truly are, the better this world is just going to be. And all that fake and emotions, I'm not a fan of it. I believe that, yeah, she's a star for that.

Q. What are the similarities between Naomi and Serena? What are the contrasts, both in game and in personality?
SASCHA BAJIN: I mean, I think they really are different people, because the only similarity they have is that they kind of have the same hair (smiling), big hair. I believe that they kind of want to play the same, you know. They are very powerful, big serves, big hitters, both of them.

But even on court, Serena is very aggressive, you know, and Naomi, I have to push her to get a fist pump out of her.

So the mindset is different from one to the other. Off court, too, Naomi is a little bit more, like, reserved, just a little bit more shy. I don't know. I haven't met Serena when she was 20. I met her a little bit later. Maybe she was the same way when she was younger. When I was with her, she was a little bit more outgoing. On court she's more of a boss, kind of like, than Naomi is now. I'm working very hard, and we are all, in the team, working hard to make sure that Naomi one day might own the court like Serena.

Q. You obviously worked with Serena, she's the best, she's one of a kind. Did you worry after being done working with her that she sort of ruined you from working with someone else because the standard is so high, so different, or did it help to work with her and you moved on and...
SASCHA BAJIN: I mean, I have learned -- I always say I learn more from my players than they have learned from me. So even now, from Naomi, I have learned so much from her than she has learned from me.

But with Serena, back then, I don't know. We decided to go our separate ways, and I didn't know what was going to come next, but then, you know, I got that call from Vika back then. It worked out. Just step by step and, you know, now I'm here talking to you guys.

Yeah, whatever happened, happened. But I'm thankful for the time I had with her. I really, really, really hope she makes it to the finals here and I hope that we do, too. That would be beautiful.

Q. Do you think she's playing the best tennis of her career? If so, why do you think?
SASCHA BAJIN: Naomi?

Q. Yes.
SASCHA BAJIN: I don't think she's playing necessarily the best tennis of her career. I think she's playing smarter now. She's more open-minded on the court about other things than just, yeah, trying to crush the opponent.

But, yeah, I think she's just matured a lot on court. A beautiful display was the Sabalenka match where she's down three match points, trying to kind of just push the forehand return in, misses two of them, then goes back to deuce and attacks it, you know, attacks her second serve, gets that point, and ultimately earned match point. Sabalenka double-faulted, earned the match with putting pressure on.

So these are the little things that I love watching and seeing how she progresses from trying one thing, didn't work, and then didn't stick with it but tried something else, and that's success. I'm very proud of her for that.

Q. Do you remember when you met her the first time? How much did you know about her?
SASCHA BAJIN: How much did I know about her? We practiced with her with Caroline once at the French Open. We played against her with Caroline in Eastbourne. So I kind of knew her as a competitor a little bit.

Yeah, I thought she was a little bit more of a diva because she didn't talk much. You know, she doesn't really look at someone's eyes, but that's just because she was always so shy. She would just keep her head down a little bit, which is cute now. Back then I didn't know for what reason. I feel bad for prejudging.

But I'm very happy that it wasn't what I thought, that it was a positive surprise. Yeah, looking back, maybe it was meant to be, you know. Things happen for a reason. So I'm glad I could help her.

Q. It's possible she will face Madison Keys in the next round. What, to you, are the biggest similarities and the biggest differences between their games?
SASCHA BAJIN: Yeah, again, both have big serves. You know, both have big forehands. You know, Madison has been here on the big stage a lot of times before. Maybe that's the only difference to Naomi.

Kind of the similar -- yeah, kind of the same players. Not much to say. We are just gonna see who wins first, and then we're gonna think about that.

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