US OPEN

September 6, 2020

Jennifer Brady

Press Conference

J. BRADY/A. Kerber

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First time in a Grand Slam quarters. What's been the difference for you physically and mentally?

JENNIFER BRADY: For me, physically and mentally, I think I have improved on both aspects. I have gotten a lot fitter. I'm able to, you know, maintain my intensity from the beginning of the match all the way until the end.

Also, you know, going out there, I think, you know, having that physicality that I have, the improvement of my fitness I also have, that brings also the improvement of the mental side, as well, knowing that I can play my game at a high level from, you know, the very first point all the way until the end without a dip in my physical abilities.

Q. I wondered if you were asked to sign the document, sign up with Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil's group they are creating. They said they reached out to the women. I have wondered if you have been approached to sign and what you did.

JENNIFER BRADY: No, I have not been approached about the document.

Q. Do you have any feelings about that association and how it's played out with the fact that they did not have women and now they say they do, et cetera?

JENNIFER BRADY: You know, I -- honestly, not really. As far as the WTA, you know, I think they are doing a really good job, and, you know, right now I stand by the WTA and what they are doing.

You know, just not making any decisions until, you know, somebody really approaches me or other players get involved, as well.

Q. I'm curious to know, you had success relatively early at the slams in your career, reaching the round of 16 twice in 2017. I'm wondering, was that a difficult adjustment for you to make after having that success and getting more attention? And if it was difficult, would you say it's something that has helped you get to where you are now?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, you know, I don't think I was really ready physically or mentally to make the fourth round of two slams in one year. Definitely came as a huge surprise to me. Honestly, I didn't really believe that I belonged at that level or that it was achievable for me.

So to be honest, I wasn't ready mentally or physically before it. And, you know, this year, starting the beginning of the year, I felt like a different player. I'm not putting expectations on myself but also not surprised when I'm doing well at a tournament.

Q. Over the last several years, numerous players have won majors. How has your belief in your own capacity to win a major evolved in recent years?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, you know, I think right now the women's game is so deep. Anybody can win a major. It's just a matter of, you know, how the draw really pans out.

I think, you know, you had Sonya Kenin this year, won Australian Open, and I know her very well. You know, I think seeing the younger players or other players, you know, winning majors and not just the same person, I think it brings a different fire or fuel for other players, as well. You know, they see that and they're like, Okay, if they win, I can also win.

Q. You look really chill and steady out there, kind of even when you were dealing with the trainer and everything. Just wondering more about the mental side of your game. Is that something you have had to work on recently as you say you kind of feel like you're a new player this year? How has that journey been for you, I guess?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, you know, I think I would say my personality off court, you know, I'm a very relaxed, chill person. I'm easygoing. You know, at times I can get pretty frustrated with myself on court. Recently I have just been going on court with not putting expectations on myself to perform well but instead to just focus on what I can control and just competing on every single point.

You know, I think that's been a huge game changer for me. Also, you know, knowing that I have the physical ability to perform and hang with the top players, that also takes off some pressure or stress from myself and my mental side.

Q. How is the leg feeling after the trainer visit today?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, it's feeling good. Thank you (smiling). It's feeling good.

Q. Can you just talk through today's match. Especially in that late second set, how much pressure or stress were you under? She was playing better. And also, because of the leg, clearly you wanted to finish it in straight sets and not have to go to a third?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, definitely. She was making a lot more balls in the second set. I think maybe I wasn't as aggressive as I was in the first set. I felt like I came out and played really good tennis in the first set, exactly how I wanted to. I was expecting things to be like that. I wasn't really surprised.

In the second set, I started with the break, and then she broke back. But that didn't really bother me. You know, that game at 4-2, I was able to hold. No, to go 4-2 I was able to hold. That was a pretty big game for me.

You know, at that point I was, like, okay, just focus on every single point. Each point, one at a time.

Then when I was returning I got a match point, and I played a little bit defensive. Then, you know, she was able to win that point.

You know, I tried to just stay present and not focus on the end result. You know, I definitely did want to close it out in two sets, because I wasn't sure, maybe my leg was bothering me a little bit, I couldn't serve as well.

But, you know, I was happy with how I closed it out at the end.

Q. What does it mean for you to not just make to beat Angelique Kerber, former champion, former No. 1, great player, but also to make your first major quarterfinal in a year where I'm sure this was the goal and to kind of check it off?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, you know, it's awesome. It's been a rough year so far, 2020. But, you know, really happy with making the quarterfinals here at the US Open and hopefully I keep going.

Q. USTA sent out an e-mail saying you were the first college player since Gigi Fernandez in 1994 to make the quarterfinals of the US Open. That's before you were born, if I recall. So I was just wondering if you could have had any sort of mentor or any sort of idea that a college player could do this kind of thing?

JENNIFER BRADY: To be honest, like, when I went to college, if you were to tell me that when I left, if I were to go to college in 2013 at UCLA and seven years from then I would be in the quarterfinals of the US Open, I would probably laugh.

I would be shocked, because I just -- I wasn't ready when I went to college. I wasn't ready to play on the big stage. I definitely wasn't ready to perform or compete with any of these other players.

So, you know, for me, college was a big learning experience on and off the court, just growing as a person, becoming more mature. You know, also having Stella and Rance, they made me fall in love with the game a little bit more. Really happy with my decision to go to UCLA.

Q. Just to follow up on that, do you feel now that you represent college tennis? Do you feel comfortable being sort of a role model for other girls who might make that decision, might be in that same position that you were in in 2013?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, I hope so. I think that would be a huge honor to have freshmen college players or any, whatever year they are in in college, I think to look up to me. I think that's something that, you know, that would mean a lot to me, yeah.

Q. Can you just take it a little bit further what you're talking about? It's so tough out there on the circuit. You leave UCLA, and then you're sort of among hundreds, thousands of young women around the world who want to emerge at the very top. Talk about the process of going from UCLA to now in this run at the US Open. What did you have to go through?

JENNIFER BRADY: You know, in the beginning it was a grind. I was playing a lot of challenger events, 25Ks, 50Ks, traveling, sharing a room with two other girls. It's not all, you know, pretty on tour. Traveling isn't really that great, and, you know, just trying to save a buck here or two, you know, trying to share a room with other girls.

And then eventually once you start to do better in those tournaments, then you get an opportunity to play in the qualifying of the WTAs, and then from there then you go into the main draw of the WTAs, and you kind of just work your way up.

It's very challenging. A lot of people don't make it because they see how hard it is at the lower levels, but honestly, I loved it. I didn't really mind it. You know, I think, you know, my, I guess, growth mindset really got me to where I am today.

Q. You're in New York. A ballplayer named Jackie Robinson changed the world in New York. Ashe Stadium is named after Arthur. Jimmy Connors really made the US Open in some people's mind. I'm just pointing to UCLA and the UCLA sporting heritage. Did you feel that in Westwood? Is that something that really helped you? You have spoken about Stella and Rance. Was that culture something that you felt, and did that help you?

JENNIFER BRADY: Yeah, definitely. There were so many great athletes that came out of UCLA. John Wooden is huge at UCLA. Everything is really all about him. We have a lot of athlete, I guess, convention talks and things like that that's called Wooden Academy, and he was a legend.

I think they are continuing to, you know, use his name and continue to use his name at UCLA.

Q. I saw an interview a couple weeks ago, you were talking about walking during quarantine several hours a day, you called them "grandma walks." Is that something you do outside of quarantine? Are you a hiker? A walker? Can you tell us a little bit about that.

JENNIFER BRADY: Well, my trainer kind of got me started on walking 10, 15 minutes after meals, to help with digestion, things like that. And then I took it to another level because I was just home and there was nothing else to do. I would just walk in the neighborhood for, like, a couple hours here and there, pretty much every day.

You know, I tried not to just sit on the couch or go on Instagram and things like that. I was spending either practicing, training, or walking, and eating. Yeah, that was my life in quarantine (smiling).

Q. Would you say it's more meditative or more exercise, or a bit of both?

JENNIFER BRADY: I wouldn't say it was exercise. I would say meditative, probably. Just getting my mind off of things. Just focusing on myself and nature. Just, yeah, enjoying being outside.