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US OPEN

September 6, 2019

Bianca Andreescu

New York, NY, USA

B. ANDREESCU/B. Bencic

7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. If somebody told you a year ago you'd be facing Serena Williams in the finals of the US Open, what would your thoughts have been?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I don't think I would have believed them. I was ranked, like, outside of the 150, I think. It's just crazy what a year can do.

If someone would have said that a couple weeks ago, I think I would have believed them.

Q. The opportunity, what does it mean to you?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Oh, yeah, I've wanted to play her. I remember always telling my team I would have always wanted to play her right before she retires.

I'm really looking forward to it. She's an amazing champion on and off the court. It's going to be fun.

Q. Feels like you're achieving new milestones every other day. How does it feel reaching the first semifinal or quarterfinal of a Grand Slam?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: A lot of emotions are running through my body right now. A lot of thoughts, too. But right now I'm just trying to take in the victory of tonight.

Hopefully I can just keep the momentum going for the finals. Hopefully I can play a little bit better than I did today.

Q. As soon as you won the match, the look on your face, you could see the emotion. Talk about what you were thinking at that moment. You looked like you were going to cry, then jump for joy.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Yeah, I mean, I've always dreamt of this moment ever since I was a little kid. But I don't think many people would have actually thought that it would become a reality.

I think for me, it all started in Auckland, then in Indian Wells. I just kept believing in myself. But I think that moment after the match, I was just in shock. At the same time I fought really hard to get to this point, so I really think I deserve to be in the finals on Saturday.

Q. What are your earliest memories of Serena Williams? How have your thoughts about her evolved?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I remember watching her when I was about 10. I don't remember specifically a moment. I watched her win most of her Grand Slam titles. I think she's fighting for her 24th on Saturday. I'm sure she's going to bring her A game.

I'm going to try to bring my A game, too. Hopefully I guess may the best player win.

Q. Do you think the fact you had that experience on the court with her in Canada, felt the game, got a sense of how she played, will that help you on Saturday?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think so, yeah. I don't think she was playing her best tennis in Toronto. Obviously she was having pain in her back. I got a sense of how her ball is. So yeah.

Q. Talk about the progression from Auckland and Indian Wells.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Auckland was the first time I've ever beaten a top-10 player. The next match I ended up beating Venus Williams, a true champion of this sport. So the feelings were a little bit different than in Indian Wells because that was, like, the first actual victory I'd ever gotten, like my best win ever.

Then I just kept believing in myself. I think the confidence really skyrocketed after that tournament. Even in Australia, I think I was playing well. I remember I went through quallies. I won a round.

Now being in the finals is just really special.

Q. You had some issues maybe with the crowd when you played Taylor Townsend. What do you think the crowd will be like playing Serena?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Oh, yeah, for sure. I don't know how that's going to go. But hopefully I can have some Canadians cheering me on. I remember I heard some during Taylor's match. For sure, the crowd's going to be for Serena. I just have to deal with that.

Q. For those of us, maybe fans out there, who might not have seen you playing in qualifying a year ago here, how would you say you've changed as a player, either your game style or mental approach?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think I'm just stronger overall, even in my game. I've been through a lot with injuries. I think that also helped me learn a lot. I've surrounded myself with an amazing team. I'm traveling with a physio now, too, which I think is really helping me physically because I haven't been having any pain whatsoever throughout this whole tournament.

But I think just everything is piling up together and working in my favor.

Q. You fought back in both sets tonight. A strange match. What was Belinda doing so well that was troubling you? How were you able to fight back through that?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: It wasn't easy at all. She hits the ball really hard and really flat I think every shot. My knees were to the ground. I think it wasn't too fun playing her. But that's what makes her such a great player.

I'm just really glad with how I managed that. I tried to change the rhythm as much as possible. That was the goal right from the beginning of the match.

But it wasn't easy. When someone is hitting flat and deep, it's hard to do that. But the main reason I won today I think is because I just kept fighting. I never let up.

In the second set I felt her kind of get tight at 4-1. I fed off of that. I just kept going for my shots.

Q. Where does that fearlessness come from?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I really don't know how to answer that. I think it's just inside of me somehow. I think it's just my passion for the game, as well. I don't like to lose, so I just try my best every match.

I expect a lot from myself, so I think that pressure also helps me do my best in matches.

Q. What do you remember about last year when you lost in qualifying?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I wasn't going through a good period in my life at that point. I was having problems with some relationships in my life, with my body, and even my mind, too. I was playing 25Ks, I remember, 60Ks in Canada before the quallies of the US Open.

But I'm glad I went through it because at one point you have to. I think I just learned a lot. I'm really glad with how I'm just -- just like how everything is piling up with me.

Q. You practiced a lot of other sports when you were a kid. How did they help you in your tennis now?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think it helped me a lot because playing different sports gets you to think differently and it puts you in situations where you have to figure out things right on the spot. I think it helped me a lot with my coordination, as well. I think I have pretty good hand-eye coordination. But once I picked up the racquet, I forgot about everything else.

Q. Your coach said you went through some intense moments before the final in Toronto. He wouldn't tell me what they were. Those moments before the match will help you in any way?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: The tough moments like throughout the tournament or before that match?

Q. Prior to walking out for that match in Toronto.
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Well, I wasn't 100% physically. Definitely mentally I was very nervous. I was about to play a champion of this sport in the finals of Rogers Cup. Obviously I was nervous.

But I think I channeled that nervousness into something else. When I stepped on the court, I didn't really think of who was on the other side. Having those four games against her I think is going to help me on Saturday.

Q. You keep coming from behind. Do you use it to your advantage mentally?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think when I'm down, I play my best tennis. Whenever my back is against the wall, I think I'm just extra focused in those moments. I remember I told myself at 5-2 that I didn't want to go in three sets. So I think just that switched my mindset. I was just really, really focused.

Q. Four years ago you were 15, had just won the Orange 16s, then the 18s, but you were dealing with injuries. You were as positive as you could be. You have the strength, you know you were going to be a woman of strong fortitude, that you could handle anything thrown your way. You knew it then?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: When I was 15?

Q. Yes. Do you remember?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: That was kind of the start of a lot of things. I did pretty well in the junior tour, so I think the transition from juniors to pros, just having all those results from the juniors helped me do well in the pro events. Obviously it's a whole different thing.

But I remember actually when I was 16, after I won the Orange Bowl title, I remember I wrote myself a check of this tournament, winning the tournament obviously. Ever since that moment, I just kept visualizing that.

If that can happen on Saturday, then that would be pretty cool.

Q. Do you still have the check?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: Of course, yeah.

Q. Can you talk about your relationship with Sylvain? How much credit do you think he deserves for everything happening right now?
BIANCA ANDREESCU: I think he deserves a lot. He's been with me through the ups and downs. We've been working ever since the beginning of 2018, so we've been through a lot together.

Just having his support and his knowledge for the game has helped me a lot. He's an incredible person, too. We get along very well on and off the court. I'm really glad with how everything is turning out with him. I'm truly grateful.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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