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00:00Here she comes.
00:06Elena, massive congratulations.
00:09What a few weeks it's been from having an injury.
00:11We saw you have to withdraw from Cincinnati.
00:14Were you going to play here to taking number one
00:16and now being the US Open champion?
00:19I don't know. Some magic is happening, honestly.
00:22Yeah, with this injury, I was, of course, playing well,
00:26I feel like, in Canada, in Cincinnati,
00:29and I was so unlucky with the injury,
00:31and I was going just day by day, listening to my team.
00:35They were quite positive, you know, even in the beginning,
00:38we didn't know how it's going to be.
00:39So I'm super happy, very proud, and, yeah, just still can't believe.
00:44You didn't knock back into the number one ranking.
00:47You earned it, but did the pressure...
00:54Did you feel the pressure come off once you got the number one ranking,
00:57or were you still like,
00:59I want to win this tournament to put the cherry on the cake
01:01and win the cake as well?
01:02Of course, after this tough match for number one,
01:07I was a bit relieved,
01:09but I knew in my head that still I have two more matches to push,
01:13and it would be amazing if I can achieve such a milestone
01:18winning the tournament here.
01:20So, yeah, I was focused.
01:23I was trying not to see so many messages, you know,
01:27I was putting it a bit on the side, and, yeah.
01:30Good thinking.
01:31Yeah, super happy.
01:32You came out at the beginning of the third set, though,
01:34with such a great response after losing the second.
01:37What were you telling yourself at that point?
01:39Irina was playing a little bit better.
01:41There was obviously a lot of pressure as well,
01:43trying to close out the match.
01:44What did you do differently?
01:45Yes, she went for the shots, you know,
01:48in this tight second set.
01:50She risked a little bit.
01:52Actually, I had chances.
01:53I've been also, yeah, playing some lines, you know,
01:57dashing the lines, and...
02:00A lot of lines.
02:01Yeah, it actually changed really quickly,
02:04and in the third set I was just telling myself
02:07that whenever I have an opportunity I need to really step in,
02:10I need to risk it, even if it's very difficult mentally,
02:14I still got to do it.
02:15Elena, you're well-known for your amazing back-end,
02:18but today, I mean, your back-end.
02:19Is it possible for you to have a better day on your back-end?
02:22It was just incredible.
02:24We're showing the replay.
02:25You're hitting angles, line, winners from everywhere.
02:28I didn't hear half of the question.
02:30I'm sorry, because I think my headphones doesn't work,
02:33but your back-end was just amazing.
02:35Your back-end was unbelievable.
02:36It was amazing.
02:37How come it was so good today?
02:40Well, I don't know.
02:41Everything was working today,
02:42and in these tight moments,
02:45I was just trying to push myself as hard as possible,
02:48and as I said on the court,
02:50I was basically diving on all these balls.
02:52I didn't care about my food, whatever happens.
02:55I thought this much, I need to really give it all,
02:58and yeah, it worked.
03:00And you're the US Open champion now.
03:02Elena, when you stood on this stage with us a few days ago,
03:08you said as a child it hadn't been a dream.
03:11You hadn't really thought this was possible.
03:13It was only later.
03:14And now here you are standing with this beautiful trophy.
03:17You're third as a Grand Slam,
03:18and you're the world number one.
03:20It's incredible.
03:21Yes, it's impossible still to believe.
03:25It's crazy, crazy achievement in my head
03:28when I was coming here,
03:29and especially playing the final,
03:31I thought, wow, it would be really amazing
03:34if I can do it this time,
03:36and it's going to be three Grand Slams
03:38on different places,
03:40and I mean, I just need to push more,
03:43and I feel like all my goals are going to be achieved,
03:46and then it's going to be pure joy, you know,
03:48and I mean, now still I feel like a lot of work,
03:54and I want to push for more.
03:56Vacation?
03:58A part, yes.
03:59Celebration, short celebrations.
04:01First celebration, and then vacation, of course.
04:03On the match point, when you grab your balls,
04:06you have to go to the ad port to serve.
04:09We did a lot of research on your serve.
04:12Normally your favorite one is out wide.
04:14You say to yourself, okay, this time I'm going to go tea.
04:17What was your reflection then?
04:20Can you repeat just because I can't hear you guys.
04:23On the match point, your favorite serve is wide normally.
04:27When you pick up the balls, you tell yourself,
04:29okay, now I have it, it's tea, I'm going tea.
04:34I don't even remember where I served.
04:37No, but of course I have my favorite serves,
04:41and I feel like I've been serving well in the different corners,
04:45and I was also trying to focus where she stands, what she does,
04:50because we play so many times, and we can read each other,
04:53and I was just trying to not confuse myself at the same time,
04:56but also go for safety and for where I feel it,
05:01so whenever my first thought was coming up, I was going for it.
05:06Elena, could we ask you one final thing?
05:08If I take your microphone, could you turn to the crowd
05:11and lift the trophy up for them?
05:13Yes.
05:13So I'll take this, and congratulations again.
05:33Elena, congratulations.
05:34Many, many congratulations.
05:37Enjoy it.
05:38I hope the celebrations are good.
05:40I think they're going to be, I have a feeling.
05:43Just that smile, Martina, just plastered on her face,
05:48the pure joy you could see emanating out of her.
05:51We finally saw her teeth.
05:52She's got great teeth.
05:53She's a great teeth.
05:55Phenomenal, phenomenal play, phenomenal player,
05:59and a really nice human being as well, so congratulations.
06:02Oh, massive, massive.
06:03She'll have a lot more media duties to do,
06:05but I don't think, Laura, she will mind doing those duties.
06:09She is, I think it's still sinking in.
06:11She just needs a little bit of time now
06:13for everything she has achieved at her age,
06:16world number one, a third Grand Slam title
06:19on three different surfaces.
06:21Wow.
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