US OPEN

August 31, 2023

Jodie Burrage

Press Conference

A. SABALENKA/J. Burrage

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Obviously not the result you were looking for, but just give us your thoughts on the match today and the overall tournament as a whole for you.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, not obviously the result I was looking for, but I had a pretty tough opponent. I thought she played really well today. She served really well, especially in the big moments.

But, yeah, you know, I'm happy with how I played in a way and happy with how I was on the court. It's a big occasion and you're playing a big player like that. And I'm happy with the way I went about it.

I didn't feel out of place out there at all. You know, I thought my forehand was pretty bang average throughout that whole match actually, apart from like one lob I hit. So if that could have got going a little more then maybe it would have turned the scales.

Yeah, I can't be disappointed too much literally. I felt like I was in that match, and I felt like if I had got one of those breaks back then it would have been interesting to see what happened.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What was the whole experience like playing on such a massive court?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, no, it was really fun. I think it's a really fun court to play on. Obviously there's so much going on. It's never dead silent. There's always either people talking or whatever, and the music was fun.

Yeah, it was a really good experience for me. You know, the crowd, you know, I thought they were actually with me quite a bit. They tried to help me through it, which was good to experience.

But, yeah, I played on Centre Court this year, and I think I dealt with the occasion a lot better, and that's exactly what you need to go through as a player. You need to keep playing on these big stages, and you get used to it, and I enjoyed it a lot more, I think.

Yeah, and each experience is setting me up for the next one. Yeah, it was good fun.

Q. This is only the second time you've been the second round in a slam, you're making such great progress, playing your best tennis. Your whole assessment of where you're at as well as the crowd being with you considering how Aryna has the vocals out there. Just your whole thoughts on that.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, no, the crowd were really good. You know, they're really loud and they enjoyed some of the points out there.

But with, yeah, where I'm at obviously got another win in a main draw of a slam. And yeah, I feel like I'm breaking down a few barriers that I've previously struggled with, and I'm just going and going. I'm not letting up. That's exactly what I want to do for the rest of the season and into next year.

I feel in a good spot. You know, some days are better than others. Some days you forget where you are. But the last few weeks have been really good, really fun. You're around the best players in the world. You know, the girl I played today, I think she'll be, depending on how her and Iga do, she might be ranked No. 1 in the world after this tournament.

So it was a competitive match today, and I'm a bit annoyed with certain situations, but I can't complain with where I'm at. If that's what I'm complaining about, then I think that's a pretty good place to be in.

So, yeah, I'm enjoying it at the moment. Enjoying it but I want to get a lot higher. And yeah, a lot further in these tournaments. That's what I'm looking forward to next.

Q. What's the thing that annoyed you?

JODIE BURRAGE: Just, you know, like, I think in the second set, you know, I missed a mid court forehand which kind of turned the tide a little bit and it ran away from me. Like I say, I don't feel like I ever got my forehand going in that match really. I don't think I hit a winner off it.

So, you know, I don't feel like I played off that side anyway great. And if I played a little bit better and put her under a little bit more pressure with it, then, you know -- I've hit it better than I have in that match so that's what I'm annoyed with, just a little bit annoyed with, you know, just the level of it. Nothing happened in the match, like, nothing annoyed with that. Yeah.

Q. Are you someone who sets goals for yourself in the beginning of the year and if you are, have you changed them?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, one of my goals was breaking top 100, and getting in main draw of a slam off my own back. So I have ticked those two off.

You know, goals for the rest of the year, I set before these last four weeks in the States, you know, trying to secure my place in Australia, which this week has helped. It's not for sure, but this week has helped.

But then I do have, like, my physical goals and that as well. Which will probably always stay the same (smiling). Just get better at what I'm doing now.

But, yeah, in terms of, like, ranking and where I want to push to, I think I'll just, you know, re-evaluate where I'm at after the end of this season, just go and play and keep playing the tournaments in Asia, and then a little bit after that. Yeah, for next year really, yeah, set some more.

Q. Will you go straight home? You get good money for this. Have you decided you might treat yourself, go out and get something nice?

JODIE BURRAGE: My mum wants me to spend some money, but I should treat myself, I should. But tennis is an expensive sport so I'm always thinking, yeah, you've got to save some of it to help you for the next few years.

I will treat myself. I don't know what to yet. But yeah, I'm going to go home probably tomorrow or the next day, go home for a few weeks. And then like I said, out to Asia after a quick trip to France to watch that Scotland/South Africa game.

Q. Was there anything about Aryna's game that surprised you? You haven't played her before. I wonder what it felt like on the court there.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I mean, obviously she's got a big game. But I feel like sometimes, you know, she's quite loud on the court. Her grunts. Sometimes it makes it feel bigger than it actually is.

She served great. When she hit her spots, there really wasn't much I could do. I was kind of waiting for her to get the yips on her serve a little bit, which she can. But she didn't today. You know, credit to her for that.

Yeah, all around, you know, great strikes. She moves really well for, you know, a tall girl. That's pretty impressive. That's something that I'll try and implement, I think, you know, for me in my game. I feel like I try to play a little bit like her or we play similar.

So, yeah, I'll definitely watch that match back and learn a lot from it, I think.

Q. Wondering how many people are here with you? You see these people traveling with big ball clubs. I know your mom is here.

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, my mum is here, and her friend Sarah. I've got my coach Craig, who also coaches a few other players on the tour, and then my physio Danny, who's also with Joe Salisbury. That's actually quite a lot of people for me. I don't normally travel with this many people.

But I've got quite a few friends here as well. I had a few of the British girls out there, Lily, the dubs guys. Yeah, it was nice to have them there at the side of the court.

Yeah, it is nice to travel with people and, you know, you go out for dinners with different people each night. It's a nice aspect to have when tennis can be such a lonely sport.