US OPEN

August 29, 2022

Brandon Holt

Press Conference

B. HOLT/T. Fritz

6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Can you take us through the match, your thought process as the match was going on, how it played out for you.

BRANDON HOLT: Yeah, I mean, I was excited to be playing my first main draw match. Had a pretty good momentum from playing three quallies matches in a row. I felt pretty match tough.

I don't know. I had a lot of fun, a lot of friends and family were on the court, in a big stadium. Biggest one I played in so far. I was really happy to be playing there.

First set was going my way pretty well, then slipped away me after having a few set points. The second set I believe he might have had a set point or two. Ended up saving those, then winning the second set. Played a pretty good third and fourth set to close it out.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Take us back to January in Cancun to now at the US Open.

BRANDON HOLT: I started the year ranked like 900-something after having an injury in my hand. I was out for like eight months. I basically had to start from scratch down there. I did well my first three tournaments back. I won all three of them in a row after a long time off, a lot of hard work recovering.

Yeah, from there to here has been a very quick upward tick. Hopefully I can keep it going.

Q. What did your mom tell you today before the match? Did you listen?

BRANDON HOLT: Apparently not because I don't remember what she told me. I don't know what she said. Probably just go have fun. I don't know. The same stuff. Enjoy it.

And I did. I found myself in some difficult situations, maybe I didn't play quite as well as I could have in certain times, but then I played very well in other times.

Yeah, that's tennis. Things are going to be up and down. Sometimes it was down, sometimes it was up. At the end of the day it fell my way so I couldn't be happier.

Q. You're up a couple breaks in the first, slips away. You saved three set points in the second. The third you had a chance to serve it out, got broken. What was it like trying to serve out the match after all of that in the first three hours? How can you keep your poise?

BRANDON HOLT: Honestly, I was feeling pretty good when I was serving it out. I wasn't too nervous. I mean, I told myself I'm in a good position right now, I have a whole 'nother set to play if I were to lose. I felt like I was playing very well.

I think I was up 4-1, 30-Love in that last set, too, on my serve. That slipped away. He hit a few very good shots.

Yeah, definitely one that could have been easier. I'm very happy that it ended up going my way because I could have definitely been losing in that fourth set, starting a fifth set if a few points would have gone a different way.

I think Taylor elevated his game a lot. He started playing really well. I was playing really well, as well. It was a really fun match for me, I think. I don't know.

I'm very, very pleased to get out of it.

Q. Playing the 10th seed. Someone you've known a long time. Give us a thought on that matchup.

BRANDON HOLT: Yeah, I mean, Taylor has been like super nice to me since coming back. I mean, I've practiced with him at Carson a lot. He's given me a lot of advice. When I was winning, he always is congratulating me. I'm very happy to see how well he's been doing.

Yeah, I mean, it was a little bit weird to be playing him. At the same time it was kind of nice to be playing a familiar face. He said to me beforehand, I knew I was going to play you before I even quallied. He said he knew he was either going to play me or Chris Eubanks. Taylor is a nice guy, really funny, has a good sense of humor.

Yeah, I was happy to be playing with him. I've known him a long time. More than anything I think he's been almost like someone I can look up to. He works really hard, has been doing really well, and is not shy to give advice and help me out when I wasn't doing very well.

Q. How much was the wind a factor?

BRANDON HOLT: The wind? It was kind of swirly. I couldn't tell exactly which way it was going the whole time. Sometimes it felt like I was with the wind, then against the wind, on the same side. I didn't feel it was super windy. Sometimes it would make a difference on some slice serves or things like that.

I don't think it was a huge, huge factor.

Q. I believe you mentioned during the rain delays for the third round of qualifying you almost fell asleep or did. You wondered what would happen if you overslept the time when the match resumed. How do you allow yourself to look at the lighter side of things?

BRANDON HOLT: I was definitely nervous during those rain delays. I was thinking the whole entire time about where to serve. I went to the recovery room and they have these super comfortable couches, these recliners, and I was kicked back on them just thinking, Oh, man, I just got to relax. I was so tired. I just, like, started falling asleep and dozing off. I like put my phone underneath my hand to make sure if I fell asleep, that someone hopefully would call me and I'd wake up.

I was thinking I probably shouldn't fall asleep right now because that would be terrible if I was just sleeping. You can't hear them calling your name either on the loud speaker in that room. I was like I'm just going to be sleeping through when the matches are supposed to be playing.

Fortunately I didn't.

Q. You go back to January. What if someone told you in January when you were in Cancun, Down the road you're going to beat the 10th seed in the US Open?

BRANDON HOLT: I don't know. I'd probably call them crazy. I have no idea.

It's been a roller coaster ride. It's been fun. I'm so happy. I'm thrilled to be here. To be in the second round is absolutely amazing. Such a big win, the biggest win of my career by far. Yeah, to do it at the US Open is amazing.