US OPEN

September 8, 2022

Aryna Sabalenka

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/A. Sabalenka

3-6, 6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. How are you feeling?

ARYNA SABALENKA: How should I say it? Not really good.

Q. What do you think made the difference tonight?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, just a few points. She was playing really, really good in the key moments.

Yeah, she did great.

Q. In that second set after the 2-Love lead, kind of what did you start to feel maybe change in that set? Was it the kind of pressure that she was kind of putting a lot on your serve?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Well, she was just going for it. She was hitting every ball and, like, putting me under pressure and playing really aggressively.

Especially, like, I gave her a lot of opportunities in the first few games. She, like, after she leads 2-Love, then she was just going for it and I was just trying to come back. There was less pressure on her, more pressure on me.

She was playing aggressively, and I was trying to stay in the game, which was my mistake, I think. I should just go for it.

Q. Can you talk to us a little bit about your approach before the game. Just wondering having a three-game losing streak against Swiatek, did it have any effect on you heading into this game tonight?

ARYNA SABALENKA: No, I would say the first three games we played this year, it was a different me. It wasn't me. It was just like a player who was just trying to survive without serve, without my game.

I would say today was the real game for me, yeah. I didn't really think about these, like, first three games because I knew it wasn't me and I couldn't do anything in those games. I was just struggling with a lot of things.

Today I had a lot of chances, and I just didn't use it.

Q. Do you think in the coming days or in a week you'll be able to take positives from what you were able to accomplish this tournament?

ARYNA SABALENKA: I mean, of course. It's a lot of positive things from this tournament after such a tough year. Going here to US Open, didn't really expect from me any wins. But I made it. I really start playing better and I feel it and I just have to keep going, keep trying, keep fighting, keep doing my best. I think things will go better.

As I said, if not this year, then next year I will be ready for everything.

Q. In terms of your performance tonight, it was a strong one. Did you feel as though this one, I guess it's difficult in the moment, but were you prouder of the performance tonight compared to the semifinals that you played last year?

ARYNA SABALENKA: Actually, right now I don't feel that way, but my team is keep telling me that, yeah, I have to be proud of myself, what I have done in the last months, I would say.

But I don't feel that way. I feel like in these three semifinals I had so much opportunities and I didn't use it. And I guess I'm trying to think that everything happen for a reason, and I guess it just make me really stronger.

I guess, like, in the next semifinal, I will be much stronger as a player.