US OPEN

September 6, 2021

Shelby Rogers

Press Conference

E. RADUCANU/S. Rogers

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. (Question off microphone.)

SHELBY ROGERS: I wish I could tell you. She held serve, broke me, held serve, broke me, held serve.

Yeah, that was pretty embarrassing. It was a tough day at the office. Unfortunately I had to fail in front of thousands and thousands of people. So I have to live with that one.

It's a little, a lot, obviously disappointing that I couldn't muster up a little bit more today. But, you know, I told you guys the other night it took everything I had to beat Barty. I guess that was a little apparent today. The tank was a little bit empty. I just have to learn how to take those wins and reset a little better.

I had a heartbreaker of a loss yesterday in dubs too in the breaker. You know, I definitely like to leave everything I have on the court and I can confidently say I will be heading home with everything left in New York (smiling).

Might take a few days to reset for me, but, I mean, you know, look, I went out there, I tried. Just didn't have it today.

Q. You have seen a lot of young players, many of them through the years. What can you tell us about her? Especially the poise she showed. Going down a break right off the bat. Describe her game.

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, I have watched her the last few months. She's been doing a lot of great stuff.

I don't think she had much of a challenge today. I mean, you know, you have to close it out still. She's on Ashe for the first time, it's a lot of challenges for her. So she did handle that very well. I just wish I could have tested her a little bit more and played some tennis the way I know I can.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case today, so she absolutely capitalized on the moment and took it. I mean, anybody would take that moment.

I'm excited for her. That's the next generation of our sport, and it's in good hands.

Q. Congrats on the run. The other day you were saying tennis is a funny sport. You can come in, can't find the court, and then a night like the other night that makes you fall in love with it, and then obviously there's today. Can you give some insight into what you guys have to go through in this sport of, you know, those highs and those lows and how you have learned to manage it?

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, I mean, I think someone asked me the other day some advice I would give, and I said try not to get too high or too low with every match. It's tough when you know you have a win like that and everybody is treating it like the final. Everybody coming up to me on-site -- I'm really actually happy I had doubles yesterday because it kind of refocused me a little bit, but everyone is coming up to you, Oh, great win. I'm like, Yeah, but it's just third round. We're not even halfway right now.

It's just really tough sometimes to keep that in perspective, but you do the best you can and try to ignore -- sorry, guys -- try to ignore the media and everybody blowing it up and making you the story of the tournament.

Obviously we appreciate the spotlight in those moments, but then, you know, you have today and I'm going to have 9 million death threats and whatnot. It's very much polarizing, one extreme to the other very quickly.

At this point in my career, I'd say I'm used to it. It's just now for me, like I said, finding a way to, okay, have those big wins but then be able to back it up a little bit. Yeah, it's not easy, to say the least.

Q. Sloane Stephens also posted on Instagram sort of getting harassing, threatening messages on Instagram after the loss. Could you speak a little bit more about what you touched upon in the previous question.

SHELBY ROGERS: Yeah, I kind of wish social media didn't exist. Here we are. It's a big part of marketing now, we have contracts, we have to post certain things. I don't know, you could probably go through my profile right now, I'm probably a fat pig and, you know, words that I can't say right now. But, I mean, it is what it is. You try not to take it to heart, and it's the unfortunate side of any sport and what we do.

I'm also very grateful to have had that opportunity on Ashe. Not everybody has even had a chance to play there, and I played there three times this week. It's just trying to keep it in perspective.

Obviously I'm not thrilled with the way my run here ended. I have so, so many positives to take from this week but I also want more and I want to try to challenge myself to keep pushing and do better and go a little bit further next time, see if you can have an empty tank but play good tennis anyway.

You know, just focusing on the important things, not comments from people in their mom's basement. You know, yeah, it's really unfortunate and some of it does get to your head sometimes. I mean, they write some true things sometimes for sure, you're up a break and you have another breakpoint. These are facts.

But social media can't control what I'm doing and the way my training is going to go moving forward, but I wish it didn't exist. It's really tough.