US OPEN

August 28, 2024

Zheng Qinwen

Press Conference

Z. QINWEN/E. Andreeva

6-7, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Came from one set down. Three-set victory. On to the third round. Your thoughts on your play today.

ZHENG QINWEN: Well, yeah, obviously I start the match not the way that I want, you know, really slow reaction, but that's happen sometimes. I'm just happy to get this match on play and go on to the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You talked about the mental step when you lost the first set in the first round to Anisimova. How do you feel now about coming back from that tiebreaker so strong?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, maybe I just think I should start the match better than what I did these two rounds, yeah, because yeah, it seems like I played better the second set and the third set.

And also, in first set, the tiebreak, actually I thought the score was 5-5. And then I'm surprised it was tiebreak, so my mental during the tiebreak was little bit, yeah, maybe that was too hot today, can be, I don't know. Yeah (smiling).

Q. To that end, how tough were the conditions out there? After two three-set matches, how are you feeling physically?

ZHENG QINWEN: Well, when I enter the match today I feel the conditions pretty tough. My body are not used to yet, and I just feel slow reaction since the beginning.

But longer I stay on court, I feel that I see the balls better. I move my legs better, and I serve better. Just more times I am on court, more I feel the tennis at least is better than the first set.

Q. There was a large segment of Chinese-Americans at the Grandstand today. What's it like to have that level of support here as you compete in the States?

ZHENG QINWEN: It feels really, how to say, feels home for me, because I remember the first time I came US Open, I went to second round, third round, and also I get a lot of support from Chinese fans. But in that moment, I'm not used to of that.

I will feel more nervous on court, but after three years I feel I'm really comfortable. And I love the yelling out my name. I love when they clap when it's a good shot. Right now I just handle the situation really good.

Q. You had 20 aces today. How important is that serve on this surface in these conditions?

ZHENG QINWEN: I would say serve is the most important for all the players, because, you know, you get your service game, you just have to break once, and then you get a set.

So I think my serve today helps a lot, especially, you know, when you can get the short win. In these kind of conditions, you save a lot of energy, yeah.

Q. Talking about the fan support that you had today, do you remember when, in the past three years, you felt comfortable? Was it a specific tournament or a time that you remember saying, like, oh, this is actually very nice now?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yes, like today, you know, I like the crowd supporting on me. It is very nice. And I also remember three years ago in the third round, they also are supporting on me.

But I heard other Chinese talk about, you know, I just catch every single Chinese word they say. In that moment this will affect me instead of give me support. But right now automatically I can just block out the noises. I can hear them scream my name. But right now I'm more calm that I can keep the same focus on court and how more crowd support me I feel better.

Q. Do you remember when that changed, when you started getting comfortable with it? Was it a year ago, two years ago?

ZHENG QINWEN: No. Was last year when I played Asia Games, because in that city, people talk so loud in the stadium, even more than here, so I nearly heard everything, but I still have to going through the match, because, you know, the other player don't understand Chinese.

So when you don't understand the language, you don't get affected. But me, I understand everything. So after that Asia Game, I feel nothing can takes me out anymore, yeah.

Q. One of the beautiful things about New York as a city is that every single type of food is available, and at the very high level. I'm curious, when you come here, do you eat Chinese food or do you stick to the pasta and chicken stuff that you guys eat all the time all through the year?

ZHENG QINWEN: Good questions. Two days before the tournament, I went to a really good restaurant is called Tao Downtown. Yeah, that restaurant is really nice. Then after, before the match start, we come back to Italian every day. Just basically the night it's just fish and regular pasta and that's it. Yeah.