“It’s very motivating,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve had that type of crowd and support ever, really.
“So I’m happy my first Slam was able to be the US Open, because obviously as an American you get a lot of support. It was really cool to feel that.”
“I didn’t really have too many expectations going in. I didn’t know what it was going to look like for me.
“Right now, I’m really sad about today. But I guess before the tournament if you told me that it would work out like this, I would be happy.
“I guess it’s nice to know that you’re kind of in the right direction, but hopefully I can get better and not lose these matches.
“It’s been an incredible experience. I was here a week early just training, so just soaking it all in and being around all those great players, it’s nice to see.
“I’ll definitely use that to try and be here more often, not as a wildcard.”
How would she sum up the last few days in one word?
“That’s tough,” she replies. “I guess just ‘exciting’.
“There’s a lot of people and it’s just a great atmosphere. You want to put yourself in a position to play here consistently, on even bigger courts. Just trying to get there soon.”
For the time being, Jovic’s US Open journey is not over. She’ll dust herself down, brush herself off and ultimately head into both the mixed doubles and girl’s singles with an abundance of confidence.
She’ll also go into those matches with a new-found reputation and a lot of new fans watching on curiously – including Gauff.
Leave a comment