US OPEN

September 4, 2022

Danielle Collins

Press Conference

D. COLLINS/A. Cornet

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. 52 winners tonight. Didn't get broken. Yet Cornet played a great match. Can you explain what the challenge was.

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I was really impressed with the quality of serving on both sides. One of the things that Alize does on her serve is she mixes her targets and has incredible placement. Even if it's not coming in at a really, really high speed, she's placing it so close to the lines, sometimes it skids. That was happening quite a bit.

She was getting some free points off her serve like I was. It was kind of like she was holding, I was holding. Went to battle in the tiebreak. Luckily got a couple points on her serve. That gave me some confidence. Was able to close it out.

Yeah, I mean, it was really, really close, especially the second set all the way through. But really the first set, too, was close in the same way.

Q. Started the tournament getting revenge on Naomi, you were 0-3 against her. Next round Sabalenka, who you are also 0-3 against. Is New York going to be your revenge tour?

DANIELLE COLLINS: I'm not really a vengeful person. I just kind of come out here and do my best. Love to compete. Any win is a bonus for me. Lucky to be here with a lot of the challenges I faced.

I'm motivated from within. I just do the best that I can. I work my tail off. I've got an incredible work ethic. I think that that comes out a lot in my performances.

Q. On the subject of the serve, you have your first-serve percentage points up every match. Does it feel like it's getting better for you match by match?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah. That's been something I've been working on throughout my career. When I first started my career, my serve definitely wasn't one of my strengths. That's one of the areas I've improved the most. It's still a work in progress.

Even though I'm trying to win the match, I'm trying to work on that, focusing on the areas that my coach and I talk about, lock into that. When I do that, I serve really well.

Q. I know you are usually fired up. It seems like even more so. Walking out on court with a smile, soaking in everything on Ashe. Where is that coming from at this tournament?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I mean, the crowd has been amazing. Playing the night matches here are so much fun. Such a different feeling than getting up at 5 in the morning and doing my 7 a.m. practices.

I love being able to sleep in. I love being able to play under the lights. I love the crowds that come out for our night matches. We get so many more fans I feel like in the evening.

The energy is just contagious. Yeah, I'm just so happy to be playing these night matches. It's so much fun. I've played day and night here before. The night matches are really something special. Kind of sets it apart, sets the US Open apart from the other slams.

Q. You've had so much success on hard courts, success at the Australian Open. How good does it feel to do it here on home soil and what do you think is possible next week?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, this is one of my favorite slams. But didn't have my best results at this specific one. To be able to kind of have my best results that I've had here has been great.

Obviously want to try to take it to the next level and do the best I can. With the way I'm playing, I've just got to take it one match at a time. Try to make the little improvements that my coach and I have been working on the last couple of weeks, stick to it. I think when you focus on the process, it usually has a little bit of a smoother sailing at the end.

Q. Playing Sabalenka, two different types of power. What has the challenge in the past been?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, we played a battle here a couple years ago. It was three sets. We've played many battles over the years. I don't think I've ever won against Aryna.

I'll definitely have a lot of information to look at and some stats, get a chance to watch her play a little bit on film tomorrow.

So, yeah, just kind of have to see again. She's a very powerful player. She really exposes people's weaknesses. But I think with how I'm playing, hopefully I can just have that laser focus and use my strengths, yeah, just keep going for it.