US OPEN

September 6, 2024

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

J. PEGULA/K. Muchova

1-6, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Karolina, if you would, your thoughts on the match.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Oh, a very tough match. I felt like I started pretty good. I felt like I played in flow, like everything was going in the court. Also felt like she was a little nervous.

Yeah, I think I started great the first set, but was going actually kind of easy, and I knew that it's not going to go like that all the time. So I tried to still be there and move my legs and keep the tempo, but then one point when I had a breakpoint for 3-Love, the volley, I missed that one. I felt like it kind of changed and she picked it up, and she start to play really solid. I missed again few points, but then, it kind of turned around. It was tough to make point then against her. She was everywhere. Didn't do many mistakes.

Yeah, she played really great, so credits to her.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congrats on a great tournament.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Thank you.

Q. In terms of the shift in the match, how much of that, because obviously the points were shorter in the first set and early in the second, and as the match went on, it seemed like it became more of a grind. Why do you think that happened?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I think I started to be little less aggressive. On the other hand, she started to play way better with the match. The balls had, like, better depth. So it was tough for me to get on the net and to play these aggressive points. I think I then -- yeah, tough to say. It was really tough to keep that level all the time.

Yeah, unlucky I didn't kept it all the time. Then it was a battle, and then I felt like I was getting more and more slower and she was still there. She was getting faster.

So then she beat me.

Q. Congrats on a great tournament. When you went off at the end of the second set, was that to do with the bug? Was that a physical thing?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: No, I went to change. I was pretty sweaty, so I went to change my clothes.

Q. You felt okay?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I felt okay.

Q. Can you look at this tournament in some ways, can you look at it overall as a victory? You're healthy, you finished this tournament last year with a serious injury, were around for such a long time. Big picture-wise the way you played, the way you feel, must be a lot of positives.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, for sure. It's a lot of positives. I mean, I just lost before half hour, I'm a little bit -- of course now I'm not thinking that much about positives. But for sure to even get to the semis and to feel that my game is there, that I can compete against the best, I can win against them, it's something that I didn't know when it will come back to me, and I feel I'm playing good level.

As you mentioned, I'm healthy and I can play more tournaments this year. That's actually the most important thing.

Q. When you're really in the zone, your game can look so effortless. I'm wondering what it takes for you mentally to remain in the kind of mental space that lets you play that way.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: To stay in that space? Oh, I didn't get it.

Q. When you're producing your effortless, flowing tennis, how do you kind of stay locked in in the mental space that lets you play that way?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, I just try to focus on next point, try to keep, like, basic stuff, breathing, next point, the routines that I have on the court.

Yeah, just be in the moment, basically. They didn't work today (smiling). But yeah, I mean, it's just good to get through these matches and get the experience from it and learn from it for the next match like this what I can do better and how I can improve. So I'll just try to learn.