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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 14, 2019

Sloane Stephens

Cincinnati, Ohio

S. STEPHENS/Y. Putintseva

2-6, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You came in here wanting to get a win this week and you got it. How happy are you with this result?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, happy. It's always tough playing that opponent. Just happy to get the win.

Q. What made the difference tonight as opposed to the last couple matches?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I just tried to be more crazier than her.

Q. Do you feel like you achieved that?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Oh, obviously.

Q. Do you feel like that's the key?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I think so, yeah.

Q. You say that, but...
SLOANE STEPHENS: No, in my mind. Not, like, outwardly.

Q. Outwardly you were, even by your standards, you were focused tonight, I felt like. Was that a conscious effort?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I was trying to be zen, because she will work your last damn nerve. Just had to, ya know...

Q. She didn't seem like she was doing that much tonight.
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, she was very well behaved, actually. That was, like, good behavior. There were only, like, 12 racquet throws.

Q. To that point, what was going through your mind controlling that craziness that you said?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, you just -- I mean, it's hard not to, like, see what's going on on the other side of the court, because it's just a lot of stuff happening. And I think sometimes if you get, you know, agitated or frustrated or whatever, that can kind of creep into what's happening and kind of affect play.

I have played her enough now to kind of know how to navigate those situations. You obviously have to be very ready to play when you play her.

Yeah, today, like I said, I just tried to be as calm as possible and just focus on my side of the net. I wasn't playing my best tennis. Like, it's been pretty inconsistent for me on the hard courts. I was just looking for a win and trying to fight through.

Q. Specifically at the end of the second set when there was that long break, you were standing up, you were kind of walking around a little bit. What was going through your mind at that time, as well?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Nothing.

Q. Same kind of thing?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. Like, if it's not one thing, it's another. If it's not one scam, it's another. Like, it just comes with the territory.

Q. Does that at all, like, light a fire under you when you know you have to be on the lookout for things?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah. I mean, there is very few players that you have to actually be, like, on your toes for things like that. But I think definitely you always know what you're going to get with that opponent. So just got to be ready.

Q. I don't know if I'm being dense. Do you two have any particular history?
SLOANE STEPHENS: No. Just like every time I have played her it's been, like, insane. That's just how she is. It's not like anything out of the ordinary.

Q. I just wondered, when that takes place, does that distress you or do you just sort of put it in its own little box?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I mean, like I said, you have to be ready to play. Sometimes it can really affect you and kind of drive you nuts. And sometimes, if you're ready and you're just going to block everything out, you can play well.

Like, I think it's more of when you're playing, sometimes it's more of everything else that's going on, not the actual tennis. So today, like I said, I have been trying to get a win and trying to just play some better tennis. That was literally what I was focusing on today.

Q. I'm curious, about a year ago you were coming in defending a Grand Slam title for the first time. I'm curious what, this time or heading into the days ahead of the tournament, you were thinking of that sort of unknown occasion looming on the horizon? You played well here last year, seemed like you handled that well, but I'm curious if there is this unknown, if you feel there is something looming, being the defending champion of a Grand Slam.
SLOANE STEPHENS: No, I mean, I thought it went way better than it could have gone. It could have gone real bad. I played, like, Azarenka in the third round. I had a tough draw. I think I handled it well. I think I was just trying to maneuver.

I mean, I played some good tennis in the hard court swing, obviously making finals of Montreal. I was playing well.

Yeah, I mean, defending a title is always tough, especially a Grand Slam, in a Grand Slam that I was the year before nowhere even close to winning. So I think the situation was just very unique.

But I thought I handled it well, and I thought -- I mean, I made the quarters, so it wasn't -- I mean, like I said, it could have gone really bad.

Q. If like Naomi comes up tomorrow and asks you what to expect, what would you say?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Well, she's not. But what to expect? No, just, like, try to enjoy it. Obviously there is going to be a lot of pressure. There is going to be extra media questions, more questions, like more everything than normal.

And I think just kind of like managing that, like, pretournament, like, the week before was what I did a really good job of and just trying to, like, maintain, like, a neutral type of week instead of, like, an overwhelming week, which obviously defending champion you have Kids' Day and media requests and interviews. Just a lot happening.

I think I managed that well, but I think that's for everybody, like, pre-Grand Slam, just managing all the expectations and stuff.

Q. Sveta next. Just your thoughts on her. What makes her challenging?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, she's always been a really tough opponent, obviously. We have played some good matches in the past. Like I said, just looking for wins here and just trying to get back into a good rhythm before a slam.

I think it will be a good match, because obviously I'm just trying to raise my level at the moment. Just going to go out there and do my best. And obviously it will be a high quality match, and that's what I need right now.

Q. When you're looking for rhythm and you're trying to find the game that you want to play and execute out there, do you spend a lot of time thinking or wondering or trying to sort out, like, why am I playing the way I am and what can I do to fix it? Or do you say, Next match, let's go, and try to sort it by just playing the matches?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I think it depends on the occasion, the situation, like, how you're feeling, what's happening. Like, a lot of things happen because sometimes I'm, like, Whatever, I wasn't ready, let's just try it again next week. And sometimes, like, Oh, my God, something's definitely wrong. I think it's definitely situational.

But in tennis, like I said before, one week it could be like the world is ending and the next week you win a tournament and everyone loves you again, and it's like nothing ever happened. So since it is so up and down, you kind of have to treat your results and your, like, your game the same way.

Q. Where are you on that scale?
SLOANE STEPHENS: I'm, like, right in the middle, like, not panicking but also, like...

Q. Frustrated?
SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, there you go. Not panicking but also frustrated, like, you need to get your ass in gear.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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