US OPEN

September 5, 2020

Sloane Stephens

Press Conference

S. WILLIAMS/S. Stephens

2-6, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You obviously played such an astounding first set. What do you feel happened in the second and third? Was it an adjustment that Serena made or something going on with your game?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I thought we played a good match. Obviously she raised her level and she started serving a bit better. Overall I didn't think I did anything wrong necessarily. Tried to stay in the match as best I could.

Yeah, she just played better today.

Q. What do you kind of take away from this tournament in general, do you think?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I got two good matches in. Obviously not playing after five months, a long time off, difficult to kind of know how you're going to come back.

Obviously Lexington and Cincinnati weren't what I had hoped for. But here just kind of getting some matches under my belt, knowing that I have a few more tournaments left to play, I'm just going to go out and get after it, and hopefully kind of build on this and keep going into Europe.

Q. Did you see a difference in Serena's serve in the second set? How did you prepare for the third set?

SLOANE STEPHENS: Yeah, I thought she raised her level on her serve. I thought she served a lot better. Obviously she has one of the greatest serves in the game. It's really difficult to read.

Yeah, definitely something that I thought was a little bit trickier, but I just tried to get my racquet on a lot of the balls and make her play as best I could.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about how she upped her level with her serve? What was she doing specifically? Is it something you have seen before with her serve?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I just thought she served better. I don't know what she did better. She just -- I don't know in her mind what she was thinking.

There were a few more aces, and it was a little bit tougher to read. That made it a bit difficult.

Q. I wondered if you'd talk for a minute just what you think it might be like for Serena to be chasing this record. Obviously she gets asked about it all the time. In a way only she really knows what it's like. What do you think it's like, that burden, for Serena to be chasing this number?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I think she's the only one that can tell you that. I'm sure it's difficult. But, I mean, we hope she all gets it. Keep going for it.

Q. Do you think the pressure gets to her, though? Do you see that when you watch her that it is a heavy weight for her to carry?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I think only she can tell you that. I honestly am not in that position; nor anywhere close to that, so I could not tell you what that burden is.

Like I said, we all hope she gets to it. If she is feeling pressure, I hope she releases it and gets to 24.