US OPEN

September 4, 2021

Ashleigh Barty

Press Conference

S. ROGERS/A. Barty

6-2, 1-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: If you could, just your thoughts about the match.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, tough one. It's never nice when you have a couple opportunities to serve out a match and can't get it done. Look, a 6 in the third is brutal, it's a tough one to swallow. But it is what it is tonight. I found a way back into my match. I found a way to really turn it in my favor and just wasn't able to just quite finish off.

It's disappointing but we'll move on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Seemed like she was playing with a lot more control, being a little bit less aggressive, keeping the ball in play, not making very many errors. How different was that from what you've used to seeing from her and what were your adjustments?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, it's pretty slow and dead out there on Ashe at night. It was my first experience kind of playing at night there. It does make a pretty dramatic difference. Credit to Shelby. She was able to adjust to those conditions a lot quicker than I did.

I played a pretty awful first set in the sense where I was erratic. I couldn't quite find the rhythm of how I wanted to play. I found a way back into the match, found a way to turn the match back in my favor, have a couple of opportunities to serve it out and be within a couple of points, disappointing not to get it done.

I was able to find a way to adapt to those conditions, which is a good thing. We just weren't able to quite get the result tonight.

Q. Ashe at night, first time, what was the atmosphere like?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Absolutely incredible. The crowd was awesome. They gave me energy tonight. I know obviously playing an American here is a lot of fun. I had a lot of love tonight, as well.

It was really enjoyable to play out there with Shelby and enjoy that both together. I mean, it seemed pretty chalkers to me, seemed pretty full. It was a lot of fun out there.

Q. It seemed like part of how you were able to turn things around, the rallies were getting longer in the second set, early in the third. Towards the end it seemed like Shelby was getting the better of you on the longer rallies. Could you identify a change or shift?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I think when I was struggling to find the court and kind of find my patterns in that first set, I wanted to change something. For me it was to turn it physical, try and run myself into the ground a little bit and find, you know, that feeling through pure volume. I was able to do that.

I think that change kind of confused Shelby a little bit just because it was such a different match to what we've typically played before. Yeah, I mean, towards the end, even the 5-2 service game, I played a pretty poor service game. Shelby had a lot of looks at second serves.

In the end I think that game put some oxygen into her lungs. At the 5-4 game, we played some long points. I mean, I didn't play too many bad points. Shelby came up with some really good stuff when it mattered most. A forehand lob, 30-All, you tip your hat and say, Too good. I think there are a few things tonight I'm happy to accept. There are some things I'm disappointed in, without a doubt.

In the end I just didn't quite have enough in the tank. I've left everything out on the court this year. It was no different tonight. I just didn't quite have enough to get over the line, which is disappointing but we move on. I sleep well tonight knowing I gave everything I could; it just wasn't quite enough.

Q. Some of the points you said about being disappointing, can you pinpoint which? Was there a string of them or which ones were important for you that could have turned things around?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: I think when matches get close, and typically towards the end of a third set, I mean, there are so many big moments within little moments. I mean, every point felt like there was a lot riding on it towards the end there. That's natural. That's normal for when a match gets so tight towards the end. You know that the finish line for both of you is kind of just there.

I mean, there are a few that I played some good points, and I just wasn't able to quite execute. I felt like I got three or four forehands that I wanted, wasn't quite able to take advantage of them. That's all right. I felt like I set those points up well and wasn't quite able to execute.

There's a lot tonight that's disappointing, but a lot that's positive. Not a match that I'll dwell on for too long in the sense that there are so many "what ifs." Millimeters could have changed things tonight. You accept that in tennis. That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes and you move on it from it pretty quick.

Q. Was there an element of nerves?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Tonight?

Q. Yes, at any stage?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: No, I felt comfortable on the court. It was an awesome experience to play on Ashe at night. It's an incredible atmosphere. Playing against Shelby and sharing that with her was really cool. I'm not sure if it was her first time, as well. But it was a pretty full crowd and it was fun.

I think that tension is natural. But I felt fine. I just didn't quite have enough physically or mentally in the tank. But that's okay. We've had a great year so far. We're looking forward to celebrating the good stuff that we've done, learning from the hurt, learning from the experiences, and moving on.

Q. Given how long you've been on the road, what you've accomplished this year, what are your thoughts about everything that's taken place through this time in 2021?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, I mean, the last six months have been a roller coaster. I think back to the very first match that I played on this trip. I was 5-2 down in the third set in the first round of Miami. Tennis has a funny way of evening things out, doesn't it?

I think I've played a bunch of matches this year where I've come from a break down or late in the set, opponents trying to serve out the match. Sometimes you get to-and-fro. You can't win every single tennis match that you play. I'm proud of myself and my team for all the efforts we've put in in the last six months. It's been pretty incredible. I don't think we could have asked for much more honestly. I wouldn't change a thing.

With all of the tough moments that we have had, it's created some of the most enjoyable experiences. I've learnt so much about myself, about them, the way that we work together. It's been truly an incredible six months.

Q. You talked a couple times about moving on. What is your schedule? How are you feeling physically? How full a schedule do you want to play?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, probably not quite sure yet. We'll let this settle and kind of rest a little bit now and take stock a bit.

But for us, like we would usually do after every bigger tournament, every kind of phase of the year, I feel like the slams you're kind of building up to it and afterwards there's a reset. For us, it's no different.

We reset now. We go back, go back to the drawing board, work out what we want to do for the rest of the season.

Q. Indian Wells you imagine you'll play?

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, yeah, I'll be there.

Q. Can you comment briefly about Shelby and the character win she was able to get tonight? You obviously got to know her pretty well this year, defeating her four times. Must have taken a lot for her to be able to come back from 5-2 down.

ASHLEIGH BARTY: Yeah, there are certain people on the tour that I think no matter the result you know you're always going to get a genuine handshake, a smile, you're going to get that genuine respect. For me Shelby has always been one of those people.

She's one that I respect, one of the most that I respect on tour, and she's an incredible person. Tonight she showed a lot of fight.

I could see she was enjoying herself. I think that's the most important thing for both of us, we had a lot of fun out there. I know regardless of the result, it never changes our relationship, and that's really special when you've got someone who is just a class act off and on the court.

It sucks in tennis that there's a winner and loser every single day, but sometimes you don't mind losing to certain people. I think Shelby in a sense of her personality and her character, she's certainly one of those for me.