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U.S. OPEN

September 1, 2018

Aryna Sabalenka

New York, NY, USA

A. SABALENKA/P. Kvitova

7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How pleased are you with that performance?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I am so happy with that. Actually, I didn't try -- I didn't say to myself, I have to win this 6-1. I was like, Keep fighting, keep going. Everything was going in. I was just so happy with that. I'm just, like, Keep going, keep push her.

It works really good today. I'm so happy with that.

Q. When you have those moments where everything is going in, with how you've played over the summer, are you far more calm in those moments? In the past maybe you get overexcited.
ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, I'm just trying to don't thinking about -- I'm not don't thinking at all. I see against whom I'm playing. We talking with the coach. Then I come on the court with just, like, one thing, just, like, fight for every point.

Well, I don't know. I am not sure. Because this summer it works pretty well. I think it's everything because of my team, because they're working really hard. They help me like nobody help me. I think these things that I know, like, my team is always on my side. It's help me to stay calm on the court, to fight for every point. I can look at them, and I see they're like, C'mon, c'mon, keep going, you can do it. It's really help me.

Well, I have to go for it and I have to put the ball in.

Q. Did you get a chance to see Dmitry after the match?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Yes, because he was like, I don't hug you. I hug my physio first. I hug him a little bit. He just asked me whether to make some recovery shake.

Q. Talk about Naomi Osaka. What do you make of that matchup?
ARYNA SABALENKA: I didn't think it. I didn't play against her. I know she's quite aggressive player. She put a lot of balls in, quite hard. Well, I don't know, we will think about it with the coach.

Like I said before, I will just come on the court and just fight, fight for every point. It's nothing to lose for me. I'm just have to go on the court and show everything what I can.

Q. Does this feel like it's your first US Open main draw?
ARYNA SABALENKA: I don't know. I don't know actually. I don't know. I'm just so happy with my game at the moment.

Actually, before every match, I'm a little bit nervous. But when I come on the court, I see these people which ones they support me, let's say. I enjoy it. I enjoy the game. I didn't have any pressure. Well, I'm just play every point, yeah.

Q. Because of the way you played this summer coming into here, did you come into the tournament thinking you were ready for your best Grand Slam tournament already?
ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I didn't think about it. Actually before the Grand Slam, I was thinking like, Wow, I made a final, I made my first title. I have some power for a Grand Slam. I was thinking like that.

When I come in the first match, I feel pretty good, like physically, mentality. I think like, Okay, we will try to do our best. We will see. We will see.

I don't know. I'm just enjoying right now.

Q. You've been on such a great run. When did you feel things start to click for you?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Actually on every match, it's something wrong. I mean, I don't feel something. I try to find my game. It's not about this. It's just like, you know, if I have something on the match, try to think about it, try to find the way how to made it perfectly, how to find my feeling. Well, it's about this.

Q. Dmitry has played a lot of Grand Slams in his career. Has he given you any advice about how to take this tournament?
ARYNA SABALENKA: He just say me like, Don't think about you have to make the final or something like that. Just enjoy. Because every match, it's a new story for you in your history. You just have to come on the court and just, like, show your best. Well, don't think about something else. You just have to think about this point, this game, this set, this match.

Q. Before you had this team in place that's helped you a lot, before that, did you feel more not lonely on the tour, but now it seems like you have a team behind you? Does this feel so much different than what it was before?
ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, no, actually before I was working with Magnus Tideman and also Magnus Norman a little bit. Always on my side, they was always support me. Still support me. Still say, Congratulations.

Magnus Norman, he always support me. Always write me something like, C'mon, you can do it. Just come on the court and keep going. You have everything to make it. They still support me.

Before I had the team. Now it's even more, like, I just watching them, I see that they calm and they support me. Doesn't matter what. If I play like really not the best game, you know, like really bad, they still will be on my side, still will believe in me.

It's not that different. I don't know. I'm just found my team. I'm really confidence with them, uh-huh.

Q. What do you think you've improved the most since the beginning of the season?
ARYNA SABALENKA: I have improved everything. You always can improve. I will work with everything. Probably moving on the court, probably serve. I would like to make it more percentage on the first serve.

We didn't think about it with the team. We will think about it and we will work, sure.

Q. You seem like a confident person even off the court. Have you always felt like that?
ARYNA SABALENKA: No, actually I was just growing up. I start to feeling more confident. Also my team help me with that. Well, that's how it works.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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