US OPEN

September 6, 2022

Ajla Tomljanovic

Press Conference

O. JABEUR/A. Tomljanovic

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Just your thoughts on today's match.

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Yeah, I thought Ons played great. I was pretty disappointed with my serving today. I think that's the biggest thing that let me down.

Not just the double faults but just the percentage wasn't great. Then my first ball after, yeah, I was always under pressure with the scoreline. Yeah, never really found my rhythm on the serve.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Obviously disappointed. Couple of things. What do you take away from this? Did you feel a little bit tentative today with some of your shot-making?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Maybe in the beginning I did. I was ready for a lot of those things that she likes to do, like the slices and dropshots, but she actually didn't do that a lot today.

So I had to adjust my game a little bit after that first set and be more aggressive and be the one that's actually running less, because she was running me a lot in the beginning. So I had to adjust a little bit. Wasn't working what I kind of came in with.

But overall, I mean, making quarters is always a good week. Some good memories I made, but at the same time, I can learn a lot from this match. Yeah, the experience can only help me.

Q. The Serena and Samsonova matches seemed to be really like mentally taxing, mentally challenging matches. If you agree, do you think that might have had an impact today, that it was hard to get up as much after what those took out of you?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Yes and no. I was pretty pumped today to play, and this is what you've got to do to win slams. I think every match is taxing and mentally draining. I was pretty pleased to get through that match against Samsonova, because that one I felt like I was a little bit low on energy.

Today I don't think the energy was the problem. It was more just some of the stuff I did on court, like the choices I made, the execution. I came up against a player that wasn't giving me much either. That doesn't make it easier.

Q. Back-to-back Grand Slam quarterfinals now. Is one of the goals to secure a seeding for the next slam?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: It feels like one quarterfinal, because the other one doesn't count, so it's like I'm in a position that sucks right now, because I'm still fighting to be top 30, and, I mean, I don't even know what I'm playing next. I don't even know what there is to play.

I just know that I'm not the player to chase points. My body is not up for, like, I mean, flying tomorrow and then playing on Monday. I don't even know if I can do that. I don't know if I want to do that. But at the same time, I want to be in that group of players where I deserve to be.

So just really frustrated at the moment with that, but I'm mad that I am frustrated with it, because it's out of my control. But it's still very frustrating (smiling).

Q. Great tournament. With the things you were able to accomplish here in New York, did you take moments to enjoy, to reflect on what you had been achieving, even the Samsonova win was a big one against a hot player, following things up, but are you going to give yourself an opportunity to reflect and be incredibly proud of what you did this tournament?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I think I should. I mean, I haven't given myself, because I was so -- I mean, I had late nights, and then the next day I would sleep until 11:00, 12:00, I was on a schedule and didn't really feel like I had any time to myself.

You know, we were always going like for a team dinner, and actually last night, I mean, I ate my food and went straight to the hotel and they stayed, so it's been really busy. I also didn't want to reflect too much because it still felt like there was work to be done.

But now I'm already thinking about what I'm playing next, so I probably should reflect a little bit and just give myself a little pat on the back, because I do deserve it. It's probably my biggest thing that I'm bad at that I just don't give myself enough credit. I'm very hard on myself.

Someone should come up to me and just say that I should give myself credit now, because it's due (smiling).

Q. I really hope you do give yourself credit. I'm just wondering with Ons, she's obviously stepped up quite a bit in the last couple of years, been quite consistent. What stands out to you the most in terms of what she's doing well at the moment?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I'm always impressed with her fitness. I don't know if you notice, but she plays really quick, like between points she's not giving you much. That shows you she's ready to play for a long time and at a really high level, too.

But I think, you know, she always was crafty, but now, like, you cannot leave anything short. She's taking care of all the scrap you give her.

Maybe before, you know, that wasn't the case, but when she's playing well, it's very hard to find where to go. You know, I don't think she's the tallest person, but she's serving amazing. Is she tall? No. Yeah (smiling).

So, yeah, I mean, just really impressed with her game. I think the confidence, when she's confident, she's really then like pressing even more.

Q. In terms of enjoying the moment and giving yourself these wins and pats on the back, is there a part of you that is scared to do that, because you don't want to feel settled or like that negativity drives you sometimes? Or is it just like how you're hardwired and you just can't do that?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Are you in my head (smiling)?

Yeah, like sometimes I'm scared to almost get happy because I feel like, you know, I'm going to jinx myself for the next one or get too excited. Yeah, there is like a mental block that I have with that stuff.

But then the thing is when I'm doing badly, I'm tough on myself too. So there is no, like, I'm either leveled, like, okay, normal, or I'm negative. And that's not healthy. I mean, but it's also how I'm wired, and it's the reason I have come back from so many tough moments.

It's a blessing and a curse. I'm happy to be that way, but I just need to be smarter, like recognize that this isn't the time to be hard on myself. This is the time to take the good and celebrate that, and then tomorrow we keep going.

I'm sure I'm going to do that now. I mean, yeah, also my dad has been really complimentary this week, so it's been really nice. Like I'm going to take that, because as soon as I start losing, he'll probably say something bad.

Q. You say that's the way you're wired and you're hard on yourself. Is that something you reserve just for tennis, or is that Ajla across the board for all of life?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: That's Ajla across the board all of life, yeah. I think I'm pretty chilled as a person, but when it comes to the things I want to achieve and do and the things I put my mind to, outside of tennis, like, that's why I can't do two things at once. I give my all in one thing.

Like, I don't know, my mom was -- this is stupid -- but my mom always wanted me to start college courses, but when I was 20, I was, like, Mom, I don't think I can do it because I can't put my attention to two things, which now, looking back, I could have done it.

But like I'm really wired that way. I'm going to put everything in what I'm doing, and then everything else I'm pretty laid back.

So I think as long as I'm playing, that's going to be a part of me, but the fact that I am a little bit more relaxed in the last maybe, I don't know, five, six months has helped me, because I'm not taking -- I'm just moving on quicker, and that's all you can do. Even if you get mad, but you let it go and you keep going.