US OPEN

September 5, 2023

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/S. Cirstea

6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Straight sets. An hour and 38 minutes. Very crisp. Take us to the last game of the second set, you were down Love-40, refused to lose that game. Then you closed out the match.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Thank you very much. Yeah, the last game, Love-40, I was, like, I'll just try to play aggressive. Nothing to lose.

Yeah, won the two points. Then I felt like I have a chance. So I tried to keep the focus, get a chance, used it. Yeah, very happy with that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. A terrific run. You talk about after that 6-Love set, the thoughts of sometimes, especially against a dangerous player like Sorana, how sometimes that's a curse with how that second set started and how you were able to respond after she went up 2-Love.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, I mean, it was 6-Love, but the games we played, they were pretty close. So the score doesn't really show how close the game was. But yeah, it was tough.

I don't know. One game felt like we played it 15 minutes from deuce to ad. Yeah, 6-Love, but I didn't feel like it went very easy. So I still had to fight for every game.

Then I think it was very important to break her back when it was Love-2 in the second set, and I'm really glad that I pulled it there, because yeah, then I hold my serve and got back into the game just, yeah, just to hold the serve. That was very important game.

Q. Despite her own power and also being a decent mover as well too, you were able just to hit through her and hit some brilliant forehands and backhands to go along with your net play. Can you talk about how you felt you hit the ball tonight.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I felt very good actually from the start till the end. I felt I had a good feeling with the ball from the baseline, I felt good on the net, slicing, and with my whole game.

I really like the court and like the atmosphere and I was enjoying it. I think that like add up a little bit to the game and to the feeling of the court for me.

Q. When your next opponent was in this room a few hours ago, she spoke for a bit about the importance of developing mental endurance. How would you describe your own mental strength and how it's developed?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Mental strength... I think personally, how would I describe it? I'm just trying to keep things actually pretty easy and don't put much expectations on me.

I always feel that I'm pretty, I would say, tough cookie in life as well (smiling). That helps with tennis. But yeah, some days are better; some days not. But I always try to keep the clear mind and to be relaxed and enjoy the sport, just the basics.

Q. When you play Coco, given the experience of Cincinnati, what do you think the key to the match will be?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: The key of the match... I didn't think of it much yet, but for sure playing my own game. I don't really want to say all the keys (smiling), I mean, with the tactics. So I'll just focus on myself, and yeah, try to bring the best out of me to play with her.

Q. What is it that you find most impressive about her game?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: She's very athletic. She never gives up. Runs for every ball. Doesn't do many mistakes. So she has kind of all the strokes. So very, very good player from all the aspects.

Q. When you say that you're a tough cookie in life, what do you mean by that?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I mean, like, I'm pretty stubborn, you know, and I always go for, I don't want to say for what I want, but if I set something, I always do all to achieve it, like everything, and I'm very competitive in everything (smiling).

It's tough for me to, when I say something -- how to say -- I don't want to say change the opinion, but yeah, I just go with what I think usually (smiling).

Q. In terms of the second week now of a slam going not just at slams but in Cincinnati and other tournaments going deep, what's more important for you at this stage? Is it recovery, physical recovery? Tactics, mental, emotional? What is the most important thing for you at this point?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Most important, yeah, I would say recovery and just to keep, still to do the same thing, you know, with my team, even when it was first round or now, just to do the routines and keep it simple, keep it how it goes.

Yeah, just basically every day is kind of similar, so just to keep it that way.

Q. Coco has probably been the hottest player on tour since Wimbledon with her record. When you played last, is there something you noticed she was doing better than maybe you had recalled seeing previously? What's the challenge when you're playing someone who must have the kind of confidence she does winning whatever it is, 15 of her last 16 matches?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: What is it?

Q. When you're playing someone who is very confident like she must be right now, what's the challenge?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, I'm as well pretty confident now, so yeah, I'm just up for the challenge. Again, she's a great player, it's going to be for sure tough battle, but yeah, I'll be ready.

Q. When you beat Ashleigh Barty two years ago, Australian Open, was that a sign for you that said, hey, I definitely can show myself against these top players, that I am this top player here? Now with your fitness being supreme and how you dealt with the conditions tonight, talk about that journey of overcoming the injuries you have done to now being at a healthy and best version of yourself.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, that's a long story (smiling). I think with my body it kind of needed some time, and then it was, like, continuous work and try to figure out stuff, how to keep myself healthy and not be injured after almost every match.

This year it kind of happened, me and my team find a way how to be able to play at least. Yeah, I'm just really glad that it happened. I'm 27 now, but I'm really happy that I can play, and that's I think as well why I enjoy it, why I appreciate it, that I can be here.

I remember last year I was really struggling with injury. I lost here first round and I couldn't continue, so yeah, just really glad to be competing.

Q. Marketa yesterday came through her match and then had her injury and Barbora, couldn't play the doubles with her. Just your thoughts about how dramatic that whole day was for them and how Marketa has her match against Madison tomorrow.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, we texted with Marky. She was really, really sad about it. Yeah, I would be the same. It was Bara's last doubles probably. But yeah, I understand her, and for her it's more important to recover and get ready for tomorrow's singles.

Yeah, I'll be cheering for her. Yeah, it is kind of what it is.

Q. Two very important questions.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I'm ready.

Q. One is: Did you notice that Emma Watson was in the crowd at all?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: No. I haven't.

Q. She was still there, whether you noticed or not. No. 2 is whether you and Marketa have been joking or the idea has come up at all about who is going to finish higher ranked at the end of the year because you're both kind of zooming along there right next to each other?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: No, we did not really talk about it. No, we are talking about different things (smiling). Not this.

Yeah, I think we are both really, like, not much thinking as well about it or competing in this. I mean, we are both top 10, and that's already incredible. Yeah, we didn't talk about it.

Q. You spoke a bit about the struggles that you had in the past and how things are different this year. When the year started, what did you think this year would be like? And now, as you think about these eight, nine months, how do you feel about the way things have gone?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I don't think I thought about anything start of the year. I really just wanted to play, wanted to get some matches that I was obviously missing, because I didn't play much last year, so I just was taking it match by match, and I was with my head really like I'll see how it goes.

Yeah, it went pretty good, pretty well, so I'm really, really happy for that. And now, being here, yeah, again, just... Yeah, I don't know what to say. It's really incredible how fast it went, actually. I'm super, super happy for it, and I just appreciate it a lot.