US OPEN

August 28, 2001

Ashley Harkleroad

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Ashley, please.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, Nike is my sponsor, and I went to the Nike room earlier this week and I tried on all the clothes and they liked me in that outfit best, so...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I think it was a little revealing, but I like that sometimes. So it was fine with me. And they liked me wearing it, so that's why I wore it.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I think I played -- I think I played pretty well considering the pressure that I had, the press and all eyes were, you know, on me of all the wildcards. And I played all right in the first set. And in the second set, I played really well. Then in the third set I didn't play that bad, it's just that I had a couple breaks early and I didn't take them and she got on a roll. And she got really confident after that. So it was basically I was trying everything I could, but nothing was working in the third set. Disappointing for me, but...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, it's fine with me. I like the attention. But, you know, it's my first US Open. I was a little bit nervous going into the match, and I think I handled the nerves pretty well. I just have to go and learn from the match. If I don't learn from it, then it's not a good experience. But if I do learn from it, then it will help me in the long run.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I haven't even seen the outfit really (smiling). I think that the outfit was -- it was tight and it was short, but I like things like that, and they liked it on me. That's why I wore it. And possibly the crowd maybe was on my side a little bit from that outfit, but I can't really -- I don't really know if they were. I just, you know, I guess they like me as a player. I'm an upcoming player, so I think they were just on my side for that more than the outfit.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, that was a crucial game. I think I had a game point in that game. I think if I would have gotten that game, it would have been a different match. I'm not saying I would have won the match but I think it would have been closer in the third set. It was pretty close, considering the 6-0 loss. If people would just hear it and not watch the match then, you know, they might think that I would have gotten killed. But really, I didn't. I mean, you know, I had a lot of close games in there, but that first game was crucial.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I think she was probably a little bit nervous going into the match. I would have been if I was a playing a 16 year old upcoming junior. But she handled it really well I thought. She never looked real nervous in the locker room. I didn't know that she won it here, so. I wasn't sure, but she handled it well, I think.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Right.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: A Babolat deal. That's it for right now. But maybe other things to come. We're not really sure with other endorsements not concerning Nike, not concerning tennis or sports.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Right.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Jill Smoler (phonetic).

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: My parents don't really say that much about what I wear. If it's a Nike outfit, then they can't really say that much. I mean, I kind of pick whatever I wear. And I liked it, so that's why I wore it.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: What is what?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, basically I'm just -- I'm working really hard on my game, trying to improve every single thing about my game. And sometimes, you know, I'll have fear about maybe not making it or things like that. But I just, you know, I just try and enjoy what I do and, you know, I think that if I work hard, then hard work will pay off. And hopefully I'll make it to my goals and to what I want to be.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I was a bit nervous going out there onto, you know, stadium court. But when I got out there, you know, I felt that the crowd liked me, then, you know, I settled down a lot. And it was actually really fun. I really enjoyed being out there. And it made me feel good, you know, going into the tournament even though it's just a little fun contest, but it makes you feel good if -- I mean, you feel that the crowd really likes you and it gives you a lot of confidence even to play your first round here.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Just the crowd.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, I don't know if I, like, admire her. But I do like to watch her play, and, you know, a lot of people will say that I remind them of her. But, you know, basically I think that she handles everything pretty well, even, you know, the talk with the press, when they put her down about her not winning a tournament. It doesn't seem to affect her. I admire her for that. She always comes back. Even if she doesn't win a tournament, she doesn't seem to be too down about it, that's because she's got everything in the world. So I don't know if I would be too upset about that, too, but I would really try hard to work hard and try and, you know, make them be quiet about that. But...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I've hit with Capriati I think only twice, and I've hit with Hingis a couple, you know, I'm not real sure, more than five times. But when I hit with them, it's like I'll go out and I'll just play a whole different level when I play with them. I never miss or anything, and I think it's good whenever I play with them, and then when I go back down to the junior level or back down to the 25,000s and 50s, it seems I've hit with the No. 1 player in the world. You know, the two-time Grand Slam champion, and it's like you feel extremely confident thinking that you can go in there and these girls haven't had that experience to hit with girls, Hingis or Capriati. So, you know, it just bumps you up a whole other level. You really improve. Even if you're out there only an hour, you improve tremendously.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: My goals are, you know, to be -- to do my very best and to try and be Top 10, Top 5. I don't have, you know, a set time for that. Any time would be nice for me. But, you know, I had hoped to really start doing well when I'm about 18, up in the Top 15, Top 10, kind of like, you know, Clijsters or Henin. She's 19. It's really becoming difficult to do it when you're 16, like Capriati did. But I'm just taking it, you know, one step at a time.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I'm fine with it. Except for him making fun of my outfit, but, you know... Everything besides that's been pretty nice.