US OPEN

August 31, 2022

Ajla Tomljanovic

Press Conference

A. TOMLJANOVIC/E. Rodina

1-6, 6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Can you take us through your match.

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Yeah, it was definitely a hard-fought win today. She made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I was a little bit frazzled more than I'd like.

Felt good to win that one because I didn't feel my best, but fought hard, and I think in the clutch moments came up with some good tennis.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You mentioned the other night it would be cool to play Serena, but you said you might not want to play her here. What are the emotions like now that it's happening?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Yeah, it's definitely something I'll never forget in my career. It's going to be a huge moment no matter the outcome.

No matter the fact that I've been a Serena fan since I was a kid, on Friday night I'll just be a competitor and I'll try my best to win.

But it will definitely be something I have never experienced yet.

Q. You mentioned you've been a fan throughout. What memories of Serena stick with you? Do you want to think about those or block them out of your mind as you prepare to face her?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I think it's hard to block out when she's standing across the net. Like I know who she is. I just remember watching her in Wimby finals with my sister in front of the TV after my practices.

It's a little surreal to me that I made it, and played in the same era as her. I was quite sad before this tournament that I've never faced her so far. Could be a chance I'll never play her before she retires.

I don't look at the draw, so I wasn't sure where she was. But I did have a moment of, like, before the tournament started, I was in my bed and just thought about playing her here on Arthur Ashe before the draw came out.

I'm glad that it's now in a third round.

Q. What does she mean to you?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I think she's changed the sport, tennis, but also what she's done worldwide for women in sports is incredible.

She's paved the way for so many, inspired me to go for my dreams. Even, like, her longevity. Like, I'm kind of in the part of my career now where they call you on the older side. She's made that kind of nonexistent. 'Old' is not even a word in her vocabulary. Very grateful to her like that.

I don't think there's anyone like her, obviously.

Q. It's going to be a different situation on Friday night, the way these crowds are. You wouldn't have experienced something as big as what we've heard the last couple times she's played here. How do you handle that? How are you going to be remained focused?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I think maybe the closest thing to it was when I played Emma Court 1 in Wimby. I remember coming off that match and thinking, Wow, that was intense. I mean, it got to me a little bit, the volume of the crowd.

But I remember Novak saying one time when they asked him a lot about this, when the crowd was against him, he just pretends it's for him. When they chant, I don't know, Rafa, Roger, whoever, he hears Novak, Novak. I kind of liked that response. I might use that on Friday night.

Q. In terms of pageantry, have you seen any of Serena's matches here so far? Are you aware of montages and stuff?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I actually haven't because we played, like, similar times. I was going to YouTube it. Is it, like, emotional?

Q. It's a lot.

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I heard it's, like, incredible.

Q. It's a lot about her...

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I think I'm going to watch it after our match. I don't want to build it up too much. I already know who she is. I don't want to get reminded everything she's done in the sport.

Q. Anett was just here and said even though she knew what to expect because she saw the match previously, when she was actually in it, it was like nothing she's ever experienced. What do you think you can do to try and understand what might happen? What's the closest thing to prepare yourself?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I actually don't know. I don't know. I was playing on Court 7 both of my matches so far at the same time as her, and I could hear the crowd. I'm like Court 7 isn't that close. I kept thinking, Oh, my God, that's annoying me and I'm not even playing against her.

I don't know how I'm going to do it. I think what I'm going to focus on is to keep the scoreline close because I think she gets dangerous if she gets up. She's the best when she gets ahead.

Then when the crowd gets involved, that's what it can get to you. But I think if I just stay within my little bubble, have my corner that I go to when I need help just for support, block it out as much as I can, I think all my meditation that I do here and there, I'm going to try to just meditate all day tomorrow.

Q. You said before you didn't want to be reminded of everything she's done. They've been doing this thing before she comes on the court, they play a montage of her championships while the opponent is standing on the court waiting for her. Are you okay with that?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Oh, before she walks on they're playing that?

Q. Yes.

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I don't know. I mean, it's Serena. I think once you get to that status, you can do whatever you want. It's just up to us to look at something else, not at the montage.

Q. Actually your opponent today, she hasn't played for three years or something, had a baby. It surprised a lot of people to see her in the draw. You said she made you quite uncomfortable. What were your impressions of her?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I mean, incredible. I don't know. I feel like if I took three years off, I would be not at this level. I get very amazed with players. She had a baby, right? They take time off, they come back. It's like she never stopped.

So I'm not going to lie. In my mind, I was like, I don't want to lose to someone that hasn't played for three years.

But she didn't play like someone that didn't play for three years. So credit to her.

Q. You grew up watching Serena as a kid. How much does she occupy a different plane in your mind, not just an average person in the locker room or in the draw? How much is she special or different, above whatever?

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: Above like other players that I've watched?

Q. That you're around on tour. I don't know if you've seen her in the locker room or anything. She has her own bigger status, how you see that.

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I mean, I feel like when she's at a tournament, I don't really get close to her so much. She's kind of in her own little world.

But I've hung out with her more when it was totally off the court.

Yeah, I don't really know if I understood the question.

Q. Does she seem bigger...

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I mean, yeah, she does. She kind of has that aura like Roger, Rafa, and deservedly so. I always get happy when she says hi to me (smiling).

Yeah, I look at her - I'm going to stop saying it - as a fan, because I'm not going to be a fan on Friday. Yeah, it's Serena. I don't know.

Q. (No microphone.)

AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: We hung out after the Met Gala last year. Florida, I went to watch, she had this dance thing. This is years ago. She's just been really cool off the court, so normal. I don't know. It's cool to see.

Before I knew her like that, I thought, Oh, you're so normal, you're so cool. I don't know.