US OPEN

September 6, 2026

Linda Noskova

Press Conference

L. NOSKOVA/M. Kostyuk

7-5, 5-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. A highly contested three-setter. Your thoughts?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Very tough match. We definitely didn't held back, neither of us. So, you know, a lot of opportunities I had, especially in the second set. Couldn't really close it out, but yeah, I had to wait for it and just keep going.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. We know the story of both Wimbledon and missing the match points in the second set and going to the toilet and seeing the trophy. What happened when you went off the court this time after the second set, or were you, like, I've got her just where I want her now?

LINDA NOSKOVA: No, I just had to leave the court. There was a lot of noise, but obviously I had to restart. I had to refocus, kind of put it behind me, which was not easy at all. Especially since Marta started, you know, very well in the third.

But it's always the most important thing to kind of get yourself back mentally after such opportunities, either in Wimbly or here.

Q. Was there any routine you went through during that little time off the court or calling on past experience that I've done this before?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I didn't want to remind myself that something like that has already happened, and that would be even worse feeling for me.

But for me, it was just, you know, splash some water on my face, just kind of talk myself into thinking all over again, and trying to, you know, start.

Q. You often see players who win their first major not do well at the next one. Sometimes there's expectations or pressure, but you are getting into the quarterfinals now after your first major, which is really good. How are you feeling about being able to sort of back up this big major success right away at the next one?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Well, it was not right away. I lost in first round in Toronto, you know (laughing), if we're going to count that. So not even in Cincy or in Toronto it was easy for me.

Q. You don't have to focus on the losses (off microphone).

LINDA NOSKOVA: No, I like to focus on the losses. Why not? I can always take some positives or some, you know, wisdom from the losses and the wins.

But I feel like once the new Grand Slam started, I kind of started all over as well, like the previous one never happened. I know it sounds weird or maybe a little bit bad or ungrateful, but yeah, it's the truth.

Q. You next face a very easy opponent, the two-time consecutive US Open Champion, Aryna. What are your thoughts about her game and your limited experience head-to-head?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Well, we did play two matches. Two of them were very different. I mean, the last one in Indian Wells, it was a tough one, a close one, but she did well. She won the whole thing, just as she has been winning here for the last two years.

You know, I haven't watched her really, but I know her game very well. We'll see what happens. I still have a day to recover from today and refocus and, you know, prepare myself for that.

But it's going to be some fast tennis, I expect.

Q. What do you consider about her game to be the biggest challenge for you?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Well, she's very consistent in whatever she does, if it's either the serve or she's going into every return that she can or, you know, just playing so, so solid from the baseline and not being afraid to go on the net as well and using some dropshots or slices, you know, to mix up the rhythm.

She's definitely one of the best players in the world for these reasons.

Q. Just wondering, your game is so well-suited to grass. You hit so hard, and it kind of skids, I think, really well on that surface. Do you think it's as suited to this surface? Do you think you could be just as dominant on hard courts?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Well, before this year's Wimbly, grass -- I mean, hard court was my favorite surface. Definitely not clay. So hard court has always kind of suited my game.

It has been, you know, kind of helping me if I either go for my serves or try to hit my balls as fast as I can, so it always kind of helps. But, you know, I've had my ups and downs, but I'm still trying to find my rhythm with each match that I play.

Q. You released quite an amount of emotion at the end of the match, maybe more than I would of expected in the fourth round. You seem like a very calm person on the court. How much space is there, disconnect, between what you're feeling inside and what we're seeing on the court, and is knowing you can regroup in a big tournament and a big stage like Wimbledon, does that give you the ability to do that more easily than before?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I'll have no more emotions if you are looking at that. No, for me, these matches, these tough matches with such a score, it doesn't really matter when I play this or when I win such match. The nerves are there.

Once the match is finally over after many match points, it's like a huge rock and kind of just, you know, falls off your heart. It is easy to kind of react to that win after, you know, waiting for that for some time.

Q. You talked on court about getting to meet Charlotte Flair. I'm just curious how you got to WWE wrestling and what you find so compelling about it?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I started watching wrestling maybe, like, seven years ago when I was a little kid, and no one really understood what I was watching at that time. You know, just some performers just beating each other, but it was fun to watch.

It has a huge history in America. Not so much in Europe. But, yeah, I used to watch it a lot back then. Now, I feel like I don't follow up as much, but I still know the, you know, biggest faces.

She was definitely one of the competitors that I used to watch back then, so it was a big moment that she came. I was very lucky. She's very kind person. She watched the whole match. Then we chatted after I finished, so it was cool.