US OPEN

September 1, 2021

Andrea Petkovic

Press Conference

G. MUGURUZA/A. Petkovic

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Can you give us an idea your thoughts on the match.

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Yes, I thought it was a really high-quality match where I wasn't good enough in the most important points. I feel like Garbine played really, really well in the most important points. What she did better than I, she returned with such great depth and really gave me nothing on my serves, no easy balls. I really had to play really well in order to hold my serve.

I think that the scoreline is not indicative of the quality of play, but I do think that she played better in the important moments and that she, yeah, that she was just a better player today. Even though I'm not happy with my performance, but I think there is a lot that I can take out of it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You just explained the match. I was wondering, after a really good summer, how do you feel about your game and where you are now compared with before the summer?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: Well, I think that my game is not quite at the highest level yet but getting there. I feel like if I had had some more of these top-caliber matches today that I could have done a little better in the important points and the crunch moments.

So I think that's gonna be the next step for me is to have more of these matches to, you know, feel the champions' aura, like Garbine is, she's such a great champion. I think she was the best player in the world in the first three months.

I was lucky enough to practice with her and feel that in practice, but it's still different in the matches, the intensity she brings.

So hopefully I can feel that more, and even though I am experienced, still, you know, you also need the experience in the moment, in the season. And that's something that I'm still lacking a little bit, have these great matches on big courts against champions. I think that could be the next step for me to evolve even more.

Yeah, so I'm looking forward to that. But in terms of Garbine, I thought she played really well today. Yeah, was just the better player today.

Q. Over the course of your career you have come back from a lot of difficult periods and, as you said, seems like you're on another positive rise in your career. Why do you think you have been able to continually come back from them?

ANDREA PETKOVIC: The fifth spring, as we would say in Germany maybe (smiling).

Well, you know, I have lost hope and I have lost positive vibes many times over my career, but I have never lost the passion for the game I think. I always told myself as long as I have this tingling sensation when I walk out on court and as long as I lose a match like today and go out and still think it was the greatest thing ever to be out there on Louis Armstrong and play these matches, I still want to play.

Obviously it helps when you get some wins in, as I did over the summer. I did have to fight really hard, because I was about to drop out of -- I mean, after Wimbledon, I told my team, if I don't do well in the next few weeks I'm going to have to retire because I was ranked 140 and I was not going to continue to play challengers.

So I guess a little pressure helped (smiling). I played really well in the next few weeks, and I put myself back in a position that I'm ranked 60 in the world and I can play the biggest tournaments again.

So that was really important for me. But just the gist I think of it all is this tingling feeling that I have when I walk out against the best on big stages, and that just gives me life. That gives me all happiness in the world.

Yeah, and that's how long I will continue to play, as long as I have that.