US OPEN

September 8, 2021

Emma Raducanu

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/B. Bencic

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on the match?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, you know, I'm so pleased to have come through that. Belinda is such a great opponent and she's an Olympic gold medallist, which is probably one of the biggest events in sport.

She's a great player, and I knew it's going to be an extremely difficult match. It took me some adjusting at the beginning to get used to her ball speed, yeah, how aggressive she was. Once I adjusted, I settled in. I didn't overpress as much.

Yeah, I found a way to win, but it was very difficult to play against someone at such a high level.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Two weeks ago today you started in qualifying, probably just happy you got to the main draw. Can you describe what your journey has felt like the last two weeks and how surprised you are how efficient you've been not dropping a set?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I have just been focusing one day at a time, taking care of each day. When you're playing tournaments, you just get into this sort of autopilot mode of your routines, recovering on the day off in between.

I didn't expect to be here at all. I mean, I think my flights were booked at the end of qualifying, so it's a nice problem to have (smiling).

Yeah, I'm just really enjoying the experience. Out there on the court today, I was saying to myself, This could be the last time you play on Ashe, so might as well just go for it and enjoy everything.

Q. You have talked on court and a couple times in here about how everybody has his own path, own journey. Could you elaborate what this has meant to you and how you feel overall going into the next round?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it means a lot. I think to compare yourself and your results against anyone is probably like the thief of happiness, and everyone is doing their own thing. I mean, I didn't compete for 18 months, but here I am, and it just shows that if you believe in yourself, then anything is possible.

Q. You have talked about this charmed run and how you didn't expect to be here, but now you are here. Can you explain if you have a hunger growing at this point to win the tournament, if that's how you're going to bed tonight that I'm going to win my semifinal and then I'm going to win the final?

EMMA RADUCANU: I mean, let's say I have a hunger to win every single match I play, so I don't want to get ahead of myself at all, because I just like to take it one day at a time. If I take care of what I can control, then that's going to give me the best chance.

Until now, I think it's worked very well for me not getting ahead of myself, just focusing on one point at a time. It's got me to this stage, and I'm not going to change anything.

Q. Your summer schedule before the US Open coming off of Wimbledon, it was such a big moment, but you did play some smaller tournaments before the US Open. I wonder if that helped resettle you ahead of another big one like here?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it helped a lot. I played some hard court tournaments. They were very good for me to adjust to the hard courts, because it's completely different to the grass. You get away with a lot less, I would say.

After four weeks, I think that building up the levels at the tournaments, my game got better. With each higher level tournament I played, I had to raise my game.

Yeah, it led up very well to the US Open, which is a Grand Slam and where all the top players are. So I think that I worked my way up to this level gradually but, yeah, the amount of matches I have had has really helped with my confidence.

Q. You were asked on court about people back at home. Is there any chance your parents could make it out here at any stage? Is that kind of just not possible with the current climate?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it's not possible, because you need a waiver and it takes a couple weeks for approval. It's too late, and, yeah, they won't be able to get one.

Q. You're obviously such a point of pride to people in Britain, and we have seen some former champions either present or cheering you on. Could you tell us a bit about the role, I'm unclear, the role that maybe Andy Murray, Tim Henman, Virginia Wade have had? In other words, have some worked directly with you and some are sending you good vibes with their presence?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that their presence and everything that they have achieved is inspiration in itself for me. We have some great role models to look up to.

I personally haven't spent that much time with them, but, yeah, like Andy has quite often on occasion, like, spoken to me, and I actually hit with him two times, which was really good for me to see his ball speed and how good he is. Actually I place mixed doubles against him.

Yeah, all are such great role models and figures for me to follow.

Q. I think you have worn the same outfit for every match in the main draw. Are you superstitious, or...

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, it's not the same set, to be clear (laughter). Honestly, I just really like the color red, and out of all of the outfits, that was my favorite one. Once again at this stage of the tournament I'm not going to change absolutely anything (smiling).

Q. You're one of two teenagers headed to the semifinals. How well do you know Leylah Fernandez? How much, if at all, have you compared notes or chatted with each other during this tournament?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I mean, I have known Leylah since we were juniors, in Under-12s, we played Orange Bowl and all of those tournaments. I played her in Junior Wimbledon, actually.

Yeah, the fact that we are both here in the semifinals of the US Open after having played each other from the early days, it's very cool to see just how far we have come.

Yeah, she's a really cool person, and, yeah, was handing out cupcakes yesterday.

Q. You show so much poise and incredible composure out there. Can you take a moment and just say where you think that comes from, how much of that is an asset for you?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I think that the calmness and the mental strength definitely comes from my upbringing. I think my parents have both instilled in me from a very young age to definitely have a positive attitude on court, because, yeah, when I was younger, it was definitely an absolute no-go if I had any sort of bad attitude. So from a young age, I definitely learnt that, and it's followed me until now.

When you're serving out a match on such a big stage, to go into your first semifinals of a slam, you definitely need a sense of calm to get through that moment, especially I was Love-30, and to just reset and focus on what I could control. I knew exactly what patterns I was going to play and, yeah, I was just very focused and in the moment. Wasn't getting ahead of myself.

Q. On a similar line about the calmness, is it very easy for you to stay as calm and collected as you are on court and off court, as you are now? Do you realize about the stats and records and things like that that you have achieved?

EMMA RADUCANU: Well, I have actually got no idea about any of the records at all. It's the first time I heard today that I was the first qualifier to make the semis. I had no idea before that.

Yeah, I'm not here to chase any records right now. I'm just taking care of what I can do on the moment and on the match ahead. Haven't even started thinking about the next one yet.

What was the first one?

Q. Is it easy for you to stay as calm and collected on and off the court as you are now?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I would say off the court I'm a pretty relaxed person. I don't really stress out over many things.

Yeah, one day there was bad traffic getting in because of the tornado or hurricane the night before. Yeah, I was saying to my coach, It's okay if we miss the practice, and they are like, What do you mean if we miss practice?

Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty relaxed. I trust myself and it's all mental at the end of the day.

Q. You're going to be British No. 1 now after this tournament. If somebody said that to you kind of eight, nine weeks ago, what would you have said? What does that mean to you as an achievement?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I had no idea. That's obviously very cool (smiling).

Yeah, the group of British girls that we've got, I think we are all playing at a great level right now and in good form. I think it's really nice to be able to have a really supportive group. I mean, they are all really nice people.

Yeah, I'm sure we are all going to be just pushing each other up the ranks and with our own level.

Q. I wonder, when you look over what you have achieved in New York, what aspect of your game has pleased you the most? Has it been a particular stroke, has it been your movement, has it been your mental strength or what?

EMMA RADUCANU: I'd say one of the things is my movement. Physically I would say I'm not 100% developed yet, but my speed and ability to get to some of the balls has definitely surprised me. I have started sliding, which I didn't know I could do actually, and I kind of do it by accident now. I have always wanted to learn how to do it, but now I can do it.

But I'd say my movement and athleticism, but also just the mental strength to be able to two days ago come out onto Ashe for the first time and keep my calm and come through, being a break down, and then today again to serve out the match and play Belinda on such a big court and occasion, so I'd say both of those two things.

Q. Leylah Fernandez was telling us yesterday she's calling after each match to get tactical briefings from her father. I'm guessing you're probably not doing that. Is there any tennis when you chat home? What are the conversations like when you call home?

EMMA RADUCANU: Yeah, I haven't actually called my parents for quite a while (smiling). Yeah, yesterday, like the day before they were ghosting me, but when we speak it's more just -- because I have been away for so long now, they just really want to see how I am.

I think right now I've just got such a great support team around me and a smaller tight-knit group of people that I really trust, and they are really helping me through these moments, and we are all just really enjoying the moment.