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U.S. OPEN

August 30, 2011

Donald Young

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

D. YOUNG/L. Lacko
6-4, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I have seen a bunch of your matches at the Open over the years. This was in my mind the best you've played here. Do you agree? Is there a reason why?
DONALD YOUNG: Only in the match -- I played two previously I felt I pretty well on when I beat Guccione in 2007 and the -- it was the second and fourth set against James that in 2008.
But, yeah, today was the first like really complete match I played well and played confident. Yeah, I played well the whole time.

Q. What did the result in D. C. do for your confidence? Did you feel different after that tournament?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, for sure. Like to win four matches at that level was great, and to have back-to-back wins against high-caliber guys was great for my confidence. Made me really feel like after this time that I really belonged and could actually, you know, beat the guys on a consistent basis.

Q. Do you like that court? What was the atmosphere like out there?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, it's great. Last night me and my friend went and like checked it out. It was really nice. Doesn't even feel like the Open kind of. It almost feels like a Masters Series or something.
It's still the Open because you're set apart from everything, but I really like the court, and to have the stadium and the challenge it's great.

Q. How does it feel to be the first American male to win a match in the main draw on that court?
DONALD YOUNG: It's awesome. I didn't know that. I'm just happy to win the first match and happy to be on that court, which is great.
Yeah, I'm happy that's part of history.

Q. For years you were kind of the guy to watch. You seem like a late bloomer, like Mardy Fish. We're finally seeing some results.
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I mean, I think everyone's light turns on at their own time. I'm starting to feel like mine is turning on. Yeah, people do it at their own time. Not everybody does it when everybody expects it to be done.
I wish it could have been earlier. It's starting to come now and I'm excited about it.

Q. What are the main differences in your game from a year ago to now? What are you doing better?
DONALD YOUNG: I feel I'm a little more aggressive, able to actually not just play well for a little part of the match but the whole match, which is definitely what you need to do to win matches at this level.
So those are two things right now.

Q. How did that happen? How did you learn to do that?
DONALD YOUNG: I think over time it's experience of playing and, you know, a different mindset. You just get tired of losing after a while. You want to try something different.

Q. You played most of your career with Head and now you're using the Prince without the stencil. Why did you choose that racquet, and what's your relationship going forward with them?
DONALD YOUNG: I'm just trying it out. It's a nice racquet. I've dealt with Head forever. They're great. I'm just trying it out. I just like it right now.

Q. Did you change strings at all?
DONALD YOUNG: No, same string that I have been playing with since 2008 also.

Q. What string is that?
DONALD YOUNG: It's a Solinco string, Tour Bite.

Q. Is this your favorite tournament?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, it is, definitely. I like here and Australia quite a bit - and D. C. now - but, yeah, it definitely is my favorite slam to play.

Q. I think you get Stan next, right?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I think so.

Q. Have you played him yet?
DONALD YOUNG: I have not. I haven't practiced with him, I haven't done anything with him. It will be new for me. I have seen quite a bit on TV.

Q. Do you think that tennis is changing to the extent that we won't be seeing 17, 18, 19 year old Grand Slam champions? Is it almost impossible for somebody that young to win now? If so, why?
DONALD YOUNG: For sure it's different. I mean, unless somebody that's 17, 18 is, you know, 6'5" and really fully developed, it's gonna be tough. Mentally, also. I don't know what the stat is in the top 100, but someone told me the average age is 26 or something like that and the top 10 is 27. I'm not 100% sure, but it was pretty high.
It wasn't what I thought it was. Yeah, it's just tougher mentally to do it, and your body is probably not, um, ready to do it day in and day out against grown men who work very hard.

Q. You said that you were hoping your light comes on now and everyone matures at different ages. To have that kind of label, the next great young player, put on you at 19, 20 years old, was that burdensome to you? Did you feel the weight of that?
DONALD YOUNG: I think I got it when I was 15, 16. But, you know, at the time it's great, you know, people are really wanting you to win and they really want you to win. To get attention obviously, you know, when you're younger you're kind of excited about it. At least I was. I can't speak for everybody.
When it doesn't happen you're really disappointed, more so because you want to win yourself. Then you start thinking about what are people thinking when you're playing, you know, and that's definitely not the way to go about it.

Q. Do you feel the success of Tiger Woods in golf put unnecessary pressure on you in this sport? Doesn't have a lot of African-American stars.
DONALD YOUNG: I don't 100% know. Maybe that's part of it. I just think it was because of like American tennis and they were just looking for -- like with Harrison now, they're looking for someone to come in and take the throne and start winning slams and start dominating.

Q. What's your ranking goal for the rest of the year, and what would you need to do tactically or tactically or physically to reach that goal?
DONALD YOUNG: You know, really I wanted to be top 50 by the end of this summer. Still have the Open to go, but definitely that's a goal I want to hit for sure. If I could make 20 or any higher would be great, but right now it's top 50.
That's what I'm aiming at right now.

Q. When things didn't go well early in your career with all the hype, was there ever a time like, I'm gonna toss this in? If so, what was plan B?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, for sure. You know, at times you don't to -- I mean, I think every player when they lose I match is, I quit. This is the worst tennis I ever played in my life and it's over.
I got to the point when that was happening quite a bit and I really wanted it to stop. Honestly, plan B would have been to go to school. My friends have a lot of fun at school, and I thought I was missing out. I have been reassured I'm not missing out on much.
But, you know, definitely school is important. I'd definitely like to go some day.

Q. Besides your parents, is anyone coaching you here in particular?
DONALD YOUNG: No, no, USTA is always around if I need the help or scouting or report, like Jose and Jay definitely let me know, give me little tidbits about someone.
Other than that, no, it's just my parents, and going well right now.

Q. Why do you think there are so few Americans coming up the ranks right now in a star quality role?
DONALD YOUNG: Well, to get started, I think in the U.S. we don't have that many big tournaments to get a lot of points. You know, it's only a few and everybody plays it, so you have to beat all the guys that are trying to get the points.
That's obviously a big thing, get the points to get into the tournaments. I think everybody around the world is getting better. I mean, you know, you have like -- I don't know how many people are in the top 100 from Serbia, you know, and like these are smaller countries that are doing really well.
It's just tough. It's just more competition, I feel.

Q. What would you say is the greatest moment of your career and the most painful moment?
DONALD YOUNG: Painful, I don't know, just the whole thing going when I was losing 14 matches in a row on the ATP Tour.
The greatest, you know, I don't think I have had the greatest moment, but maybe making semis at D.C. was great for me, or a couple of my junior slams that I won.

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