US OPEN

September 7, 2024

Rafael Jodar

Press Conference

R. JODAR/N. Budkov Kjaer

2-6, 6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: If you would, your thoughts on the win.

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah. So I'm very happy, like, I'm in a dream right now. So yeah, it was a battle. I want to congratulate also Nicolai for the tournament and for the match. It's been a pleasure to play a final against him.

So yeah, I'm really proud of myself. I think all the work I've been doing this season, not only this season, just in general, in my whole life, has been showed here in this tournament.

So, yeah, I'm very happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congratulations again. What a strange third set with the noise ceremony going on. Could you take us through just sort of what was going on. You were literally about to serve when the ceremony started next door, and what happened? You and Nicolai talk about stopping, or what happened there?

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, I mean, he of course congratulate me about the win, and I also told him that, like, we are gonna play more matches, for sure, and hopefully many more finals.

So, yeah, that's what he said to me.

Q. No, no, I meant when you guys stopped in the middle...

RAFAEL JODAR: Oh, okay, yeah, yeah. Yeah, because there were too much noise.

Q. Right.

RAFAEL JODAR: And the supervisor had to come to the court. He decided that to continue the match. But after, like, five minutes or ten minutes, we continue the match, so it was, like, of course not normal, but in general, is, like, sports, it's tennis. That can happen, you know.

Q. It was a huge crowd out there by the end of it. Have you ever played in front of that many people before?

RAFAEL JODAR: No, no, no, (smiling). To be honest, no. There were many, many people watching the match. I think there were, like, it was the only match that was playing.

So, yeah, I mean, for me, for me I had to be focused, not thinking about all the people who were watching the match. Yes, be focused.

Also with the people, with Harry and Javi that were supporting me since the first points. Yeah, I play my game in the super-tiebreak of the third set. So I think that's why I won this match.

Q. The first set went very quickly for him. What sort of turned it around? How did you get your game back? Talk about the last tiebreaker, as well, please.

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, I knew the first set was quick. I didn't find my game. So, yeah, I had to change many things.

But also, the mentality, I think I wasn't playing very good in the important points of the games in the first set.

Yeah, when I finish the first set, I just thought that I had to believe in myself, I was in a final at US Open. So yeah, I mean, it was for me a gift, no, to play a final.

So, yeah, also return better than I was doing in the first set, and serve better. That was the things that I had to improve, and fortunately I could do it very well.

Q. Down 4-3, a break in the third set, you were down in your quarterfinal match, a break in the third set, as well. How do you refocus? How do you forget how close you are to losing?

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, I mean, like, I had another match in the quarterfinals who was like similar to this one. I won that one. Yeah, the confidence was high, like many people, you know, watching the match.

But in general, I had to keep pushing, to keep believing in myself, and that's it. That's why I started playing better, maybe more aggressive and in those points when I was break down in the third set, but yeah, I mean, I thought that I could do it. Hopefully I did it (smiling).

Q. He's been in big matches before. He won a Grand Slam obviously with Wimbledon. How did you stay calm in the third-set tiebreaker? How did you sort of not get nervous and that allowed you to play so well?

RAFAEL JODAR: Yeah, I was not thinking about the next points. I was just thinking about the next shot, you know. That's the most important thing for me.

For example, if I was serving, I just was thinking about the serve. Where should I serve the next point. That helped me a lot during the super-tiebreak when I was, I don't know, 6-1 or 7-1 up, I just tried to do the same as the points before. That's why I won that super-tiebreak.

Q. Will this change your plan to go to the University of Virginia in January?

RAFAEL JODAR: Well, right now I'm not thinking about that (smiling). So I cannot tell you anything about that.

Of course it's a big tournament for me, but the plans, I don't know, I don't know, to be honest. I cannot tell you that I am going or that I am not going, because maybe, like, everything can happen.