US OPEN

August 31, 2024

Karolina Muchova

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/A. Potapova

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Karolina, your thoughts on the match?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: My thoughts on the match... I expect a tough match, and I knew she's really great player. So I tried to stay really focused, focused on my game.

Yeah, I think I took the chances that she gave me. Happy to play two sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've been to net more than anybody else at this tournament. What is it about being at the net that gives you such a good advantage over opponents?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, I'm winning points there, so I keep on going there. It's kind of not natural for me. Like, if I see a chance to go on the net that I can speed up the rally or just change it up, I just go there. I feel good on the net.

Q. You served and volleyed I think only three times today, but you saved it. Did you have it in the back of your mind that you were just going to roll it out at some point, you would do that?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Serves and volleys?

Q. Yeah.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, when I feel like that it's good to play that, I go for it when I hit a good serve. But she was returning pretty well, so that's why I didn't go there that many times today. Yeah, I guess that's about it.

Q. You seem to do well on any surface. Clay, grass, doesn't seem to matter... you play well. Is there something you like about the US Open? You have had some pretty good performances here over the years.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, I really love New York City. I like the city. I like the courts. They're fast, so I like that as well.

This was my first tournament actually where I qualified for a Grand Slam, so I have nice memories for this tournament. Yeah, I just like the vibe of it. You know, it's noisy. It's crowded. It's just New York. I really like it.

Q. You are the opposite of Petra in terms of the way you enjoy the city. She likes to be quiet. Not to compare you to her at all.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: To who?

Q. Petra Kvitová, your compatriot, who likes to stay away from the big city. A lot of players do. That's not you at all?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: No, I really like this city. I like to go out, some nice restaurants. I love Central Park. All of it. Yeah, I always looking forward to come back here.

Q. Chris Evert compared your game to a man's game style. Would you take that as a compliment? I think Ons Jabeur wasn't too happy with that. Would you say you modeled your --

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Ons Jabeur wasn't happy with that?

Q. She said you don't have to base that on the gender, the strength. Would you take that as a compliment? Would you say that's true?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: That I play like a man?

Q. Yeah, or that you modeled your game after.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I don't think I play like a man. I don't know what to say about that. I don't really know what she said. But yeah, obviously I took some inspiration from let's name Roger Federer or Djokovic. I like to follow what they do. Then it kind of inspires me. I don't think I play that way.

But, yeah, I wasn't ready to comment on this one.

Q. When you came to the tournament, what thought did you give to getting real far and maybe even winning the tournament?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Going far. Well, at the start of the tournament? Zero thoughts about that, honestly. I didn't know what to expect from myself.

I mean, I didn't play much this year, so I was just trying to be focused on the first match. That's usually the trickiest one. Really, really grateful and happy that I made it now to the fourth round.

I feel better each match actually, so it's nice to get some matches under belt. I'm, again, happy that I will have a chance to play another match here.

Q. Do you think now about next weekend?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: No, still not. Well, now I just want to enjoy today, today's game, and then I'll just be focused on Monday.

Q. You're going to face Jasmine Paolini next, and she's had this incredible season. You faced her before, but not this year. I just wonder what you make of the success she's had. She had won four matches at the majors prior to this year, and this year she's won 18. She reached two slam finals. Do you look at her as a completely different player than the one you faced before?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Well, I think it's going to be few years we played. We played last match I don't even know. So for sure I think every week, every month, every year you are different player. Looking at her result, you can see that she really improved a lot.

I didn't play the slams. Roland Garros, I was following actually, and I'm a fan of hers. She did incredible job and playing finals on clay and then grass in Wimbledon. It's just pretty inspiring. Yeah, she's very nice girl. So, yeah, I was supporting.

Q. I'm just wondering, you mentioned that you adopted a couple of elements of the game from, for example, your idol, Roger, Roger Federer, but where does the inner strength, the mental strength, and this confidence level come from? I mean, is it genetically, I mean from family, or came from the traditional Czech tennis school, the Heritage?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: The mental strength?

Q. The mental strength and the driving force.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Driving force... well, it's pretty easy. I love tennis. I love to play. It's easy for me to be motivated. And to playing on these big events, it's just why I play tennis and what I play for.

Confidence... I think with each match personally it's giving me more confidence. So each match you win or you learn, that's for sure has something to do that I have a bigger belief in myself.