Jessica Pegula On-Court Interview following her loss against Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2024 US Open.nnJessica Pegula reflects on her remarkable journey after reaching her first Grand Slam final, acknowledging the unexpected success she's had in recent weeks. Despite a challenging start to the year, she was able to turn things around, culminating in strong performances throughout the summer. She expresses gratitude for the incredible matches she's been part of, highlighting her surprise and appreciation for how far she's come.nnIn her match against Aryna Sabalenka, Pegula notes the difficulty of facing such a powerful opponent, especially given Sabalenka's dominance on hard courts. She recalls their tough battle in Cincinnati and admits that Sabalenka’s aggressive style often made it difficult for her to gain control. Although Pegula fought back in both sets, she ultimately couldn’t overcome Sabalenka but remained proud of her resilience.nnFinally, Pegula thanks her support team, including her coaches, family, and friends, for standing by her throughout this journey. She emphasizes how meaningful it is to have their support, especially at her home tournament, and expresses her deep appreciation for everyone who contributed to her success.

Ugo Humbert: “It's the greatest victory of my career and the best moment I've ever experienced on a tennis court. It was incredible, I train for this and that's what I kept telling myself throughout the third set. I wanted the story to end better than it did last year.nnI also thought about the match against Zverev, it gave me strength and I'm really proud of myself. Jérémy (Chardy, his coach) had said to me, above all, don't do what you did in Davis Cup, trying to overplay (Humbert lost against Alcaraz in September).nnBut everything was in the court. I was hitting winner after winner, and I was ultra-aggressive from the return. At the start of the second, I started to miss a bit, and he started to play a bit better. I think I'd used up so much energy that I had a little backlash and I fought until the middle of the third to get through it.nnAfter that, I talked to myself the whole third set, talking to myself. I needed to talk to myself to tell myself that I was with me, that I was there, that I wouldn't give up until the end. It worked, it felt good and I felt it was the right solution.nnIn any case, with my game on these surfaces, as on grass, I can really annoy the best in the world. After that, in the Davis Cup, he played an incredible match. I didn't have too many chances, he made me forced everywhere and I didn't see the light of day.nnThis was a different match, with the incredible support of the crowd. I'm also happy to give them (the fans) the victory because it was such an important moment for me. To share it with them was just fabulous.nnI love playing the best players in the world. That's why I train for. I love these conditions at Bercy, my favorite tournament. These are the matches I love to play.”

Jannik's Sinner's on-court interview by James Blake following his win against Jack Draper in the semifinals if the 2024 US Open.nnJames Blake :nJannik, you've got to tell me about that second set. Congratulations, that was unbelievable, but it had absolutely everything. The drama, your opponent not feeling good, you falling, how's your wrist?nIt had everything going in that second set.nnJannik Sinner :nYeah, first of all, me and Jack (Draper), we know each other very well. We are good friends off the court. It was a very physical match, as we see.nI just tried to stay there mentally. He's so tough to beat. It's a very special occasion.nThanks everyone to come out. The support has been amazing. I'm just happy to be in the final here.nnJames Blake :nYou've gained so many fans these last couple of weeks. Now the final is coming up and you're going to be playing an American (Fritz or Tiafoe) no matter what. How do you think that's going to be?nHow do you think that's going to feel, playing an American here in the finals of the U.S. Open?nnJannik Sinner nI'm just happy to be in the final here. Whoever it is, it's going to be a very tough challenge for me. But I'm just looking forward to it.nIt's the season I'm going through. It's very, very positive. Finals, they are very special days.nEvery Sunday you get to play during tournament means that you are doing an amazing job. We just try to keep pushing and then we'll see what I can do Sunday.nnJames Blake :nWell, congratulations. Everybody, Jannik Sinner to the final.

Aryna Sabalenka's press conference following her win against Jessica Pegula in the final of the 2024 US Open.nnAryna Sabalenka reflected on her challenging victory in the championship match, expressing relief and pride in overcoming a resilient opponent. After leading 3-0, she didn't expect her rival to make such a strong comeback, especially during the second set when she trailed 3-5. Sabalenka credited her ability to hold serve at crucial moments as key to her success, staying mentally strong and focused even when she was preparing for a potential third set. Her ability to apply pressure and remain composed under pressure played a significant role in her triumph.nnSabalenka emphasized her focus on personal growth over rankings, explaining that while she is currently world number two, her primary goal is to continue improving as a player and person. She remains hopeful that consistent performances will help her reclaim the top spot in the future. The victory also holds deep personal meaning for Sabalenka, who has dedicated her success to her family, particularly following the loss of her father. Every win serves as a reminder of the sacrifices her family made to support her tennis career.nnShe acknowledged her risk-taking mentality in critical points of matches, noting that her strategy is to go for aggressive shots rather than play it safe. Reflecting on past disappointments at the US Open, Sabalenka said she drew strength from those experiences to stay focused and resilient. This title, in a year marked by personal and physical challenges, including injury, was particularly sweet and meaningful.nnFinally, Sabalenka discussed her evolving game, highlighting her increased confidence in using a variety of shots beyond her signature power. She takes pride in adding new tools to her arsenal, such as slices and drop shots, which have made her a more unpredictable and well-rounded player. Her victory celebration, filled with a mix of emotions, symbolized the culmination of hard work, resilience, and personal growth.

Karolina Muchova press conference following her win against Jessica Pegula in the semifinals of the 2024 US Open.nnQuestion :nKarolina, if you would, your thoughts on the match?nnKarolina Muchova :nA very tough match. I felt like I started pretty good. I felt like I played in a flow, like everything was going in accord.nI as well felt that she was a little nervous. I think I started great in the first set, but it was going actually kind of easy and I knew that it's not going to go like that all the time. So I tried to still be there and move my legs and keep the tempo.nBut then one point when I had a break point for 3-0 off the volley, I missed that one and I felt like it kind of changed. And she picked it up and she started to play really solid. I missed again a few points, but then it kind of turned around and it was tough to make a point against her.nShe was everywhere, didn't do many mistakes and she played really great and so credits to her.nnQuestion :nIn terms of the shift in the match, how much of that, because obviously the points were shorter in the first set and early in the second and as the match went on it seemed like it became more of a grind. Why do you think that happened?nnMuchova :nI think I started to be a little less aggressive and on the other hand she started to play way better with the match. The balls had better depth so it was tough for me to get on the net and to play these aggressive points. It was really tough to keep that level all the time and I'm lucky I didn't keep it all the time.nThen it was a battle and I felt like I was getting more and more slower and she was still there. She was getting faster so then she beat me.nnQuestion :nWhen you went off at the end of the second set, was that to do with a bug? Was that a physical thing?nnMuchova :nNo, I went to change. I was pretty sweaty so I went to change my clothes. I felt okay.nnQuestion :nCan you look at this tournament in some ways, tough night tonight, but can you look at it overall as a victory? You're healthy, you finished this tournament last year with a serious injury, around for such a long time. So big picture wise, the way you played, the way you feel, must be a lot of positives.nnMuchova :nYeah, for sure it's a lot of positives. I just lost before half an hour so I'm a little bit... Of course now I'm not thinking that much about positives but for sure to even get to the semis and to feel that my game is there, that I can compete against the best, I can win against them.nIt's something that I didn't know when it will come back to me and I feel I'm playing good level. As you mentioned, I'm healthy and I can play more tournaments this year and that's actually the most important thing.nnQuestion :nKarolina, congrats. Giddy Nathan, Defector Media. When you're really in the zone, your game can look so effortless.nI'm wondering what it takes for you mentally to remain in the kind of mental space that lets you play that way.nnMuchova :nTo stay in that space? I didn't get it.nnQuestion :nWhen you're producing your most effortless flowing tennis, how do you kind of stay locked in in the mental space that lets you play that way?nnMuchova :nWell, I just try to focus on the next point. Try to keep basic stuff like breathing, next point, the routines that I have on the court and just be in the moment basically. It didn't work today, but it's just good to get through these matches and get the experience from it and learn from it for the next match like this, what I can do better and how I can improve.nSo I'll just try to learn.

Aryna Sabalenka on-court interview following her win against Emma Navarro in the semifinals of the 2024 US Open.