US OPEN

August 28, 2023

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/S. Hunter

6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Could you just give us your thoughts on your level of play today.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, I mean, first rounds are always tricky, so I was trying to be focused more on myself, play my game.

Was happy to finish the second set with my serve, and then I kind of got little loose after the first set, and I think I did great. I played the rallies. I was going for my points. It was working.

So pretty pleased with my performance today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What are your thoughts about the state of your game right now, even more so the state of your belief in your game?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: State of belief in my game. Well, for sure that I played great tournaments ahead of US Open helped me gain some confidence, and I feel good on court. Obviously this is a new tournament starting from zero again.

Yeah, I would repeat myself. I try to be focused on my stuff, what I do to play my game, and I think I was a little tight from the start, I would say. Then I just get back into it. I played great.

The belief, it helped the matches I played and won many matches past weeks. So yeah, I think the belief is, it was always there, and then with having that great matches, it's better now.

Q. What is the big lesson you took from the spring and your success in Paris moving into other Grand Slams?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: In Paris? Well, I like to play Grand Slams. You always play a round and have day off, and you can always, like, reflect and get ready for another round.

What I learned from Paris was the question? I don't even know what I would say. It's really just being more focused, more focused on myself, not to get many distractions. Just, like, be in a tournament. And, yeah, have good people around me and then just to be always ready for another one.

Q. You spoke a moment ago about your belief being better than it was with your successes. There is so much talk about some other players who have won majors, who have won tournaments and you're right there now. What's the thought process in thinking of yourself being with those best players in the world?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Honestly, I'm not really thinking about it. Just playing really match by match. I think the game that we built with the team and the strategic and everything about it, it's getting me where I want to be.

But the competition is very tough. Everyone is playing great, and you never know if you lose the first round or if you win. I think you always go and try your best. You never know if the player on the other side will have the, like, the best day, and you can struggle. I think you never know if you win or lose and everyone has kind of chance.

I'm just trying to be focused and having the belief that I can do great and I can get close to or potentially win big titles.

Q. What have you proven to yourself this year, do you think?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I have proven myself that I got back into the elite of tennis. I mean, I started to play, I was, yeah, in Miami I was still playing qually there, and I'm now top-10 seed here.

So I have proven myself that I was, how to say it, like, it was not easy. It was not easy to get back there, and every match is tough. I made it.

Yeah, just I'm really, really happy that it happened.