US OPEN

September 5, 2020

Maria Sakkari

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/A. Anisimova

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you assess your match today? Straight sets. 55 minutes. Give us your assessment of how you played.

MARIA SAKKARI: Well, first of all, you know, I needed that straight-set win, because, you know, I had some, yeah, tough matches in the beginning of the tournament. So my body needed that. It was good, you know, to get some, like, quick time on court.

I think I played great, you know, super solid and served well. Came up with some good shots when I had to. Very happy with my performance.

Q. Assuming just for the purpose of this question that your next opponent is Serena, what were the keys to beating her last week? What will be the keys against her now?

MARIA SAKKARI: You know, Serena is Serena (smiling). You have to come up with some great tennis. Otherwise there is no chance against her.

So the keys were to stay, to make the match as physical as I could. That's most like the tactic with most of the players that I play.

Basically, you know, you never know what you're going to get with Serena, because she can come up with some amazing game and amazing shots. You know, just want to enjoy today, my win, and start thinking about that tomorrow.

Q. Your mother was a very respectable player, and in fact I covered her. Best last name ever in tennis: Kanellopoulou. Can you tell me what's the most valuable piece of advice that she has given you?

MARIA SAKKARI: It's going to sound a little bit silly, but since I was a young kid I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. That's the way I was as a character. So she would be like, Just go hit and enjoy it. It sounds enough very common, but that's the thing she has been telling me since I was 11 and up until today.

To be honest now, she's even like, Come on, and if you lose, what happens? For example, in Palermo she didn't want me to go there because she was scared of the virus. So before the match, she said, You know what? Even if you lose, I don't care. You can come back home safe (smiling).

She's super relaxed and she really wants me to enjoy because she knows that doesn't last forever.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about, you obviously made the round of 16 for the first time in Australia. Now you're doing it again, second straight slam. Talk about how differently you manage your tournament and your emotions at a major now, now that you know what it takes to get into the second week, compared to maybe when you first started playing the slams.

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, I mean, for sure it's the stress level that now it's 10 times lower. You know, I'm relaxed. I think the fact that I was at the same place for a few weeks helped, so the fact that we played Cincinnati here also, that I was in the same room, you know, and the routine, you know, also helped.

So it wasn't stressful for me, you know, coming into a slam. Of course it was a bit more than Cincinnati, but, I don't know, I managed it well.

Probably the routine, I would say, helped.

Q. In terms of what you have done well to manage the first week and how you're playing, how would you assess it after three rounds?

MARIA SAKKARI: So I think the first three matches were kind of ugly, but, you know, I found a way to win which gave me a lot of confidence, actually. As I said in some previous interview, it gave me more confidence, like my previous match with Pera, than winning 6-2, 6-2.

I really came out of the match and told Tom, You know what, I'm super happy with the way I found the solution to win.

Q. Then can you just talk about since you already answered the Serena question, what do you expect if you're playing Sloane?

MARIA SAKKARI: Sloane, you know what? We have practiced once only or twice. Of course when she's in the U.S. she plays even better than the usual. And she has won here. So, you know, she's familiar with the conditions.

You know, she's a solid player. And when she's on, she's very tough to play because she's an all-around player, I think. She has a good forehand. She runs around.

I trust my game and I trust the way I'm playing now and the mentality I have on court. I just believe that I can win, you know, my next match. Or I'll try to win (smiling).

Q. You mentioned on court that you either saw or knew about Stefanos's loss last night, which was so difficult. I wonder, I know you guys are close. Have you gotten a chance to talk to him? If you didn't, what would be your message to him to kind of get him in a more positive state of mind after that loss?

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, no, I know it's tough. I didn't want to text him or anything so soon, because I know it hurts. I have never played five sets in my life, and I'm sure it's going to hurt even more.

We feel for him, every single player, because it's tough, you know, losing after having six match points. I think I never lost a match with that many match points.

But I'm sure he's going to bounce back because he's a strong guy mentally. I have a lot of confidence in him, and, you know, he's a great player. For me, he's a champion, so he's for sure going to come back stronger.

Q. And you feel ready to rise to the challenge now, representing Greece?

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, I am (smiling).

Q. Without Stefanos, unfortunately.

MARIA SAKKARI: I mean, it would be great to have both of us, you know, going deep. But I'm sure it's going to happen one day. I'm pretty confident (smiling).

Q. What part of previous US Opens when there were no restrictions do you miss the most?

MARIA SAKKARI: The private transport and not having to take the bus. That takes an hour and a half to come on-site, to be honest. Nothing else. I mean, of course, not having fans, but that bus ride, sometimes like yesterday, Friday afternoon, it took us forever.

Q. I remember when I spoke to you in the past you used to say that you really wanted to make the second week of a slam, and you felt you had a few third rounds and you couldn't make that next step. Now that you've made it in this slam and the last one, I'm wondering, for you, is the mentality different in your approach to the majors? What difference do you see in yourself? Is it a matter of comfort, confidence? Can you just talk about that element.

MARIA SAKKARI: You know, I think of course the fact that I broke that, let's say, wall in Australia, you know, because I was stuck, I was stuck for many years through the third round, it helped me a lot this time.

I was not stressed before the match. I mean, I was nervous because I was going to play a match, but it was not like, Oh, my God, oh, my God, it's a chance again to play fourth round. I really felt good with my game. I felt, why not reach the fourth round and even further?

But I think those six months really helped my mind, and I think whoever watches my matches can tell I'm more relaxed and I have seen tennis a little bit differently this time.

I actually realized what is important on court and what is not, and I'm not losing my mind anymore (smiling).

Q. If you do play Serena, I'm wondering, what is the tricky part of playing the same player twice in two weeks, two weeks in a row?

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, I mean, of course -- I answered something similar, not the same, so don't worry.

The fact that I played her last week is giving me, you know, confidence because now I know how she plays, because, you know, playing her the first time, it's kind of -- it's tricky.

But of course she's Serena, and I respect that 1000% she's going to come up with a big game if she wins. She's going to come maybe with some different tactic this time. I have to be ready for that.

Q. Your coach Tom Hill has a cookie and coffee before every single match. What does your prematch routine look like and how did the new normal change it?

MARIA SAKKARI: The thing is I have a different routine depending on the time I play. Because if I play first match I'm going to have my three shots of espresso in the morning that I really need (smiling). Basically I'm not a person that is, you know, like, very strict with routines. Like, I like routines in my everyday life, but I'm not going to be, like, Okay, sour grapes (phonetic), banana, or whatever. I'm like more relaxed. I see the time and I just... you know.

But if I play, like, later, I will have lunch. It's not like I have a specific routine like Tom. Tom struggles a lot to eat the cookie at 10:00 a.m., I can tell you. It's too sweet for him.

Q. A lot of players who lost early here saw the silver lining in being able to get back to Europe, get on the red clay and get ready for Roland Garros. How difficult do you think that transition will be for you now that you're in the second week at the US Open?

MARIA SAKKARI: You know what? That was one thing that we had in mind with Tom, because that's one of the reasons I played Palermo and I practiced on clay for two, three weeks before that. So I have an idea or -- I mean, I love clay, I know how to play on clay. But it's going to feel easier when I get back to Europe to adjust in the surface.

So I think that will help me a lot. Of course it's going to take more time for me that I'm going to come in late. But I feel good on clay, and I feel like I can slide easily and I think I'm going to be fine.