US OPEN

September 3, 2021

Simona Halep

Press Conference

S. HALEP/E. Rybakina

7-6, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: If you would, give us your thoughts on the match and this very successful week No. 1.

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, it's been a tough battle on court. Actually, I knew that she's gonna put pressure on me, and she's gonna hit strong. So I kind of expected it.

I'm really happy that I could stay stronger mentally in the third set than the second one. It was a great victory and great day for me, for my confidence, and also for my game.

It's nice to be back in the second week of the US Open after five years, because I said three years on court and my brother wrote me that it's five years, not three years. I correct it now (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Seems like there was a bit of a turning point in the third set, down a break, almost down 2-0. Do you feel like you found another gear? How important was it to find that other gear after so many months away?

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I think this match, every point was important, and I knew that I have to fight for every single point, because she never gives up. She showed that she's very strong mentally, very stable emotional. She was starting the match until the end she was perfectly the same emotional and strong mentally.

So I knew that every point is important, so I just fought for everything. In the end, I calmed down a little bit, and I was much better during the points. I opened the court. I have been a little bit more aggressive. I think that helped me a lot to win.

Q. A rematch of a final in Dubai, Garbine and Victoria Azarenka played on Arthur Ashe. There's a lot of high-quality early-round matches this week. Curious what you make of the state of the draw, state of the top women.

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, actually last night at the dinner we were watching on the schedule, and I was, like, every match is a semifinal (smiling).

Yeah, the level is super high, and now you cannot expect some players to win. So everyone can win the match.

I gave up of thinking who is going to be in the semis and finals, because I like to discuss these things. I don't include myself ever. I just like to, yeah, talk about it.

Now I have no idea. Everybody is super strong. The matches are great, in my opinion, for everybody.

Q. Can you just talk through the first-set tiebreak. Having all of those set points come and go. That point at 8-9, you played incredibly aggressively, especially on the forehand. Talk about your mentality on that very long tiebreak.

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I know from this years of experience that sometimes you have to be brave even if you are down a set point or a match point.

So it worked for me that, and I had in my mind that I don't have to wait for her mistake. I have just to get to go there and to take the point. That's why I have been aggressive that point, and was super good.

Yeah, I had 6-2 but she played really well to come back and to make it to 6-All. Yeah, I cannot say I did something wrong much, because she was super strong. Every game I think was there. The balance was very balanced.

Q. Through the first week, we have seen a lot of the veteran players, not necessarily older, but players who have accomplished quite a bit do very well in these tight moments. Last night with Pliskova, Andreescu in the first round, things like that. Can you tell us what the difference is as a veteran player when you play these matches in those tight moments, in the big stages? What are veteran players thinking in those moments versus a younger player?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I have been young, I have been there, so probably the pressure takes you a little bit out of the concentration and the relaxation of playing the best tennis that you can in important moments.

When you faced those moments many times, becomes normal sometimes, and you don't stress yourself that much. So you feel more relaxed and you have the mind clear so you can play a better point than a young player, in my opinion.

Yeah, I saw some results and I saw that the players with experience won few matches this week. So, yeah, we can say that experience help us a lot.

Q. What are your thoughts about Barbora Krejcikova who has had this incredible year, coming out of nowhere it seems like to winning the French Open, second week of Wimbledon, now second week of this tournament? Wondering what you make of that as another person on tour, what you see in her game.

SIMONA HALEP: Her ranking didn't show much until this year, but I played against her in Romania at the Open 2016, I think, and I played three sets with her, and I told my coaches that she's gonna be good.

She's super fast with the hand. Also, the ball is super flat. She has, like, very stable emotions, so I think it's helping her a lot, and the confidence. Winning matches I think brought her here where she is, and I'm sure that she's gonna win more.

In the doubles she's always been very good there, won many Grand Slams. She's a great player, and I think she deserves to be there, because every time I saw her in the gym and on the court, she was working super hard. Yeah, credit to her.

Q. Did you tell your brother to leave you alone, don't bother you?

SIMONA HALEP: I will tell him that, yeah, I said in the press... (Laughter.)

Q. Since last year the pandemic started, in the United States people started playing tennis, new players. If I was a new player and I want to be good fast, what's your best quick advice what to do, what not to do if you want to be a good player?

SIMONA HALEP: First, you have to start playing tennis, and then depends of the age. If you are a kid, you have to just stick to the schedule, to believe that there is a chance for you, and to work every day, because sometimes you have days that you cannot go to work that easy.

And if you are older, start playing tennis for patient, and if it comes, you just keep working. I think the work is the most important thing in this sport, in every sport. Without work, with just with talent, you cannot reach the top. So the work is main thing. Everybody has to work. So, yeah, this is the advice.

Q. You spoke earlier and throughout the tournament about your calf injury. Coming into the tournament, what were your biggest doubts and concerns? How maybe have you answered that as the matches have gone on?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, the injury from Cincinnati got my mind into that, so I forgot a little bit about the calf. Now I feel good. I have no pain. I had a lot of time working on this thing mentally to get rid of it thinking, because I was thinking too much how I feel, how was the practice, how I will wake up tomorrow. So I stopped thinking about that.

I just go day by day. Now I feel stronger. Every match I feel stronger, because the body kind of goes back where I have been. So now I feel more confident with my muscles and stronger also on the legs.

Q. How important was today's win, the way you played, and getting through such a tight match after what you have gone through over the last couple of months?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, at the beginning of the match, actually before the match, I was super stressed and I told Darren that my forehand is lost. So I cannot feel it anymore.

I had emotions. I was nervous. And I was crazy a little bit on court, as well, the frustrations got me a little bit.

But I fought, and this victory gives me a lot of confidence that my game is coming back and also the fighting spirit is there. So I feel safer on court when I step now.

I know that every match is a battle, but I'm there, and if I'm healthy, I'm confident that I can play my game.

Q. Did you happen to see that fan near you on the changeover?

SIMONA HALEP: The fan?

Q. Yeah, like fan from the stands.

SIMONA HALEP: If I see what?

Q. A fan in the stands was trying to take a selfie with you during one of the changeovers.

SIMONA HALEP: During the changeover, no. I was in the zone.