US OPEN

September 8, 2021

Maria Sakkari

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/Ka. Pliskova

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on the match.

MARIA SAKKARI: Well, starting from the things that I did well. I served really, really well. I didn't realize, but Pam said I served, I don't know how many points was it, 22 in a row? Wow, yeah. I said on court I was impressed.

I'm very happy I managed my stress level and my expectations. Especially at the end of the match, it was quite tough to close it out, but I think I did quite well.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're going into your next match, unlike the last three matches, as the favorite against Emma. What do you know about her game? What are you doing to make sure you can win?

MARIA SAKKARI: Well, she's a new player on tour so I don't know much about her. Obviously she's having the tournament of her life. She deserves to be here. She has won all these matches.

But I wouldn't call myself the favorite. I think we all have equal chances of winning the semifinals and then winning the title. I would give 25% to each starting tomorrow, then 50 to the two finalists.

We are all for a reason here. We're all playing well. It was not like we had - how many matches? - five walkovers. I'm excited to play a second semifinal this year.

Q. You've been deep in majors before. You're 26 years old. There's a player 23, 19 and 18. How does that make you feel?

MARIA SAKKARI: For sure not old. I think I'm the best age of my career. I'm more mature than before. As I said many times, I think every single player has a different timing of breaking through. Now it's probably my time at the age of 26.

I came in late in the tour. I was not a good junior. I was not a star when I was 18 or 19 years old. I had to work and sacrifice a lot from my life. But it's now paying off and I'm very happy that at the age of 26 I can actually achieve these results.

Q. (Question about working on mental strength.)

MARIA SAKKARI: I think that's probably my biggest improvement so far, especially this season. I knew that I have to improve, I just didn't know how, the right direction off court and on court. I'm getting where I want to be, getting closer to achieving my goals, making myself believe that I belong here.

Now after this season, which is not over yet, I proved to myself that I can actually be one of the top players in the world.

But back to your question. I think mentally I've improved a lot. Of course, age makes a huge difference, but also I've been working on my mind more than you can imagine.

Q. Can you share with us one thing you've done? Not asking for your secrets...

MARIA SAKKARI: I don't want to give my secrets, of course.

Things that off court were tougher for me. Things that on court I couldn't handle. I don't want to say more because it's personal. As I said, I've worked on my mind more than you can really imagine.

Q. I imagine after making the semifinals of the French you were getting a lot of attention at home. What will another result like this do for your persona at home personally and professionally?

MARIA SAKKARI: Well, I think it's a big thing for Greece. I didn't have a chance to say that on court, I want to dedicate this win to Greece because we struggled a lot last month with some fire damages. So for me winning for Greece, making Greek people proud and happy, especially in difficult times, it makes me even more happy because you know how much I love my country.

I don't know the attention I'm getting back home now. I guess it's probably going to be same or even more than the French.

What I witnessed after the French was only good things. I never heard a bad comment from someone. They were all coming to me with a very nice smile and very nice words to say. I can only embrace that and just have good memories from it because that's not going to last for my entire life. I'm going to be remembered, for sure, but I'm not going to be an active player in 10 years or 15 years.

Q. This is your second semifinal at a major. What feels different this time around? Do you have more confidence knowing what it's like?

MARIA SAKKARI: After reaching my first Grand Slam semifinal at the French, I felt like I can do it again. It was not luck because I beat all these good players.

Now I think I had one of the toughest draws. To be deadly honest, I think Sloane had a tougher draw than me. But Kostyuk, Siniakova, Kvitova, Andreescu, Pliskova, all these players are players I don't want to play in the first rounds. Going deep, you won't have it easy. I had to play really well to be here.

That gives me a lot of confidence because I beat some very, very good players to reach the semifinals this time. I'm actually feeling really well. I don't want to jinx it.

My tennis looks in a great place right now. Mentally I'm pretty calm. I don't want to get too excited for this win today because I have to play tomorrow. If I had a day off, it would be different.

I'm very excited to play my second semifinal.

Q. How much do you take out of the semifinal in Paris going into this next one? You're playing a lower-ranked player who you're not familiar with, which is maybe similar to Paris.

MARIA SAKKARI: Well, the thing that I will try to do better this time is, if I'm in a position where -- I remember that match at the French really well. I had breakpoints to go double break up in the first set. That would change a lot of things for the first set that I lost. I could have closed that match at the third set. I think I will do things differently this time.

But I feel like my tennis is better now than it was at the French. I'm more prepared. I'm ready. But as I mentioned earlier, we all have equal chances of making the finals. It's just that I'm going to play another match.

It doesn't matter that she's lower ranked. She's a great player. I'm just going to go for it and enjoy because this atmosphere today was insane, was crazy, was very nice.

Q. When your mother played on the tour, teenagers winning majors was very much the norm. Not so much today. What did she tell you about the olden days? What's the most important piece of advice she has given you?

MARIA SAKKARI: I mean, she stopped playing tennis when she was 25 and she was married at my age. I'm far away from stopping playing tennis right now. Now it's the best time of my career.

The best advice she's given me is just enjoy your time right now on the court. Many people have asked me. Enjoy your time on the court because that's not going to last forever.

Her career was pretty small, which she hopes my career is longer, and I think it's going to be. As I said, I'm not thinking of stopping playing tennis anytime soon.

Yeah, that's it. That's the things she has experienced and she has told me.