US OPEN

September 1, 2021

Simona Halep

Press Conference

S. HALEP/K. Kucova

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Could you just talk about your thoughts about the match and your thoughts now after two wins in the first week.

SIMONA HALEP: Well, it's been a better match. I can say I played a little bit better. She was not hitting that strong as the first opponent, so it was a different game.

But I'm really happy that I could hit the ball strong, I could move very well, and I had confidence even if I felt the pressure a little bit of playing on Arthur Ashe.

It was a good day, and I'm happy that I already have two wins and looking forward for the third round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. After your match on Monday, you spoke a bit about how difficult the calf injury has been. How are you feeling right now after having had now two matches? How has this problem improved?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I don't feel pain anymore, so that's a very good sign. Mentally it's better, because, you know, I get confidence every match. Every day I feel better. I feel like every match is helping me, and it's really important that I have already two victories.

It's about matches, I think, because so long time I didn't play an official match, and I struggled when I came to U.S. But now I feel a little bit better. I have already four matches, good matches in all three tournaments.

Injury is not bothering me, so I'm happy to be in this place, and I'm looking forward actually to get better and better. Hopefully I can touch again my highest level.

Q. I got the impression on Monday that for you the psychological aspect of the injury was in many ways as challenging as the physical aspect. How would you describe both of those aspects?

SIMONA HALEP: I think it's been a little bit more difficult, the mental part after the injury, because after I got healthy, back, I could play without pain, I was still scared of it. Mentally I was a little bit down. Then I came to Cincinnati, and I did another thing, similar to what I had at the calf, but much smaller.

So, yeah, mentally I struggled, but, you know, I have a lot of experience now, many years there with pain playing like every match probably but not that big injury.

And now I feel happy that I feel good, no pain, no struggling anymore with the mental part. So I'm just happy to be on court and trying my best to win every match I play.

I know it's going to be more difficult for the next one, but I'm just here to give my best.

Q. You're on a roll. I did want to ask, it must have been so tough to have, I won't call it a fluke injury, but a surprise injury. What did you go through mentally? How did you work to get yourself back in?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, at the beginning was very tough, because never happened to me, this kind of injury, to have a muscle like broken in two spots, big spots.

So it was like challenging, because I never faced something like this before. I didn't know how to handle the pain also. And also, the recovery, I had to start to do exercises like, you know, when I was kid, slowly and just walking on the toes. It was tough recovery, like four, five hours a day.

Then when I thought I'm ready, I forced a little bit to go to play in Wimbledon, and I was down again mentally, because I didn't know if I can play anymore this year, so I was insecure.

But then I just tried to relax myself and to give myself a break. So I said, If I cannot play this year, I will start next year. But I have to be healthy first.

That was the priority, and it helped me to recover I think better.

Q. This is on the topic of the role of luck in tennis, let cords, scheduling, rain delays, unfortunate injuries. Just talk about the role of luck in this sport.

SIMONA HALEP: I think in life you cannot do much without luck (smiling). I feel like I'm a lucky person, always have been. But you have also to work for what you want and what you desire. Then the luck, if you are positive, the luck comes next to you. Like today, I was positive and I was ready to play the second round. I was like very positive that I'm healthy and I can go on court 100%, and the court has changed and I could play without like stopping because of the rain.

Yeah, luck is very important in sport and in life also.

Q. In Montreal you said you felt in that match that you were ahead of schedule in terms of how you played there. Two matches into New York, are you still kind of feeling like you're surprised that your level is where it's at or that you're into the third round?

SIMONA HALEP: Already is a better result than when I was healthy, so it's a good thing to be in the third round here (smiling).

I'm not surprised anymore. I can say I feel the improvement day by day, and also I feel safer on court. I feel like I play what I want, so is nothing like getting me in surprise.

Healthy, positive mind, strong mentally, so I have everything just to push a little bit more every day and to believe that I have my chance every time I step on the court.

These things are keeping me in the zone.

Q. You may play Rybakina next. You played that great match last year. What is the challenge she could present to you?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, she's very powerful, and it's been almost two years since we played. It was a very tough match. I don't want that again (smiling).

But if I can win in that situation, I take it. I know it's going to be a big challenge for me. She's playing, she has played a lot this year, and also, she has confidence. She's very young so has nothing to lose.

But I'm also coming after injury, so I'm here just to take as it is and give myself a chance to believe that there is always possible to win a match.

Q. I asked Ash this and Garbine this, but the three of you have won the slams that are on the natural surfaces, but the hard court slams, you're all three chasing it. Do you have a theory as to why three of you who very good hard court players, that these two hard court slams are the trickier ones?

SIMONA HALEP: I think we are also different styles of tennis. Me and Ash probably a little bit more similar because we have the same height. But Garbine is playing much more powerful. Yeah, I don't know why. Hopefully one of us can win a hard court Grand Slam.

But it's nice to, you know, to be in these top three. They are very nice players. They are very nice persons. Yeah, I cannot explain why. It's just maybe because we didn't trust that much that on hard court we can win.

But also, in the same time, we won other tournaments, big tournaments on hard, so probably it's a matter of time and we have just to wait and to believe that it's gonna come.