US OPEN

September 1, 2023

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/T. Townsend

7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Straight-set victory. About two hours. Give us your thoughts on your performance. You now advance to the next round in the Grand Slam.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Thank you. Yeah, the match was kind of what I expected. Tricky one. Taylor, I think, played really, really great from the start. The first set was very tough, very close.

I'm glad I refocused very well for the tiebreak, and I think I played well there. Yeah, as well I felt start of the second set it was a little bit more in my hands. Yeah, I'm glad I won again in two sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You're getting very experienced at this. How would you describe what it takes in matches, on the practice court, in the gym to advance at majors?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: It's a lot of work. At the majors it's good that you always have a day off. So I'm trying to use that and get some little practice, as well refocused for another match.

Yeah, basically it's all the days are kind of same coming to the club, little practice, get ready for the match, playing match and then day off, all the treatments. Yeah, just preparation for another one.

Q. What are your thoughts on the physical and the mental grind as you go through the tournament, but also the accumulation of all the months of preparation?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Physical, I like majors because you have this day off, so you can get more ready and the body can settle down a little bit, so you have more time to recover.

Mentally, well, with winning matches, I get some confidence so I feel better and better on the court. But as well, then you feel a chance you can do great. There is pressure as well, but yeah, I mean, that's what it takes and it's natural kind of thing for tennis (smiling).

Q. You have a great strike rate at slams once you get past the first three rounds. Once you're in the round of 16 pretty money, to get into the business end of the tournament. Why do you think that is? Getting the nerves out, getting your rhythm or your confidence streak now?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Oh, I think now lately I'm playing pretty solid as well on the other tournaments, and yeah, I think I have a few good matches under the belt and that helps. I feel good on the court.

Yeah, it's always tricky to play the first match of the major of any tournament, but yeah, once you get past that, I feel a little loosen up.

Yeah, I feel great on the court now.

Q. You had that great embrace with Taylor at the net. Talk about your bond with her, with how not only you both have dynamic all-court games but really share a genuine friendship. If you and her are going to go to a Beyonce concerts, be part of the Beehive, talk about that.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, we met there. Taylor is the one I always chitchat a little bit in the locker. She's very nice girl also.

Yeah, we talk just fine. Again, she has a great game. She's funny. So we talk here and there, and yeah, that's probably what I would say.

I wish her the best, because I like the game she plays. It's very similar to mine, so that's what I as well told her at the net. Yeah, she's bringing the fire now, so I hope she keeps going.

Q. How much did you enjoy the Renaissance Tour? Do you have a favorite Beyonce song, and if she needs a guitarist like you in the future?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I think all the concert was, Beyonce, when she walks she just has that confidence. It was a nice show and we danced a little bit and enjoyed it a lot. I don't really have a favorite song. We basically went for any that she was singing. She has unbelievable voice, so it was really nice time there.

Q. I was going to ask about Beyonce, but...

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Not anymore. (Laughter.)

Q. We're pretty deep into what is a long season, there aren't a ton of breaks, not a big offseason either. By the time you get to now, would you say is the accumulation of fatigue maybe harder from a physical standpoint or a mental standpoint?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: For me personally, I think I'm now, like, a month on the road in America. For me it's maybe more mental because I really miss my home.

Yeah, that's probably what it is. But it's my job. You know, I'm here in fourth round of US Open, so I can't complain. I'm really happy to be here. Yeah, with the matches as well, the physical part, the body feels it, feels the work. Yeah, it's this job.

And tennis, it's what it's about, balancing it. I have my team and I like those guys a lot. That always helps that we have I think a lot of fun outside of tennis as well. So that helps a lot.

Q. And there's time for that? You can do that during the grind of the tournament?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, for sure. After the match we go together, have dinner, go to the city and have some fun joking big time, and just to loosen up a little bit.

Q. You mentioned Taylor's game. I wonder what you feel like her strengths were playing her today. Playing someone similar to you, how is that different mentally to kind of refocus or maybe change your execution mid match?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, I was expecting her to play this. I was ready that she is gonna come to the net a lot. So yeah, I knew she's gonna do that. And I was just getting as well from the start used to the court a little bit, and to the different rhythm. Yeah, it's way faster.

Then we got actually more into rallies, and I as well felt, I felt pretty confident from the back today, so I felt like I don't need to come to the net that often as I usually do.

But I think after that set we played, I started to as well, when she was coming to the net, my shots were more into the court, I was missing by inch the first set. Yeah, it's fast when someone goes to the net and then you have to think really fast where you go and to have a right shot. I think in the second set I felt way more comfortable doing that than in the first.

Q. You mentioned kind of you were feeling comfortable at the back of the court today and you were hitting it well. When you take the court or start a match and certain shots are on, you realize the forehand is not working great or the slice isn't, what is your problem-solving tactic generally? Is it to keep going to it to kind of get it into rhythm? Is it to back off of it?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: It's for sure to play more to get the right shot, get the rhythm. I know it's there. It's not, like, off but just to feel it more. Usually it's just to do everything faster for me, because I'm a little slow from the start (smiling). So for me, yeah, do like footwork and go faster as well with the arm, so that's usually how I kind of try to solve it.