I didn't think that I'd do something so big at US Open: Flavia Pennetta

Can you describe your US Open victory in one word?
One word, it's impossible!

Please try...
Amazing.

Did you expect to go the full distance in the US Open?
I didn't think from the start of the tournament that I'd do something so big. I really worked hard for the first match, just trying to win it. I was feeling pretty comfortable. Still, I never thought that I could win the US Open. And then in the quarterfinal against Petra Kvitova, I started to believe that I could do something more. Anyway, I couldn't say until the final, until the last point, that I could win the US Open.

You said one of the reasons of your shock victory was because you were playing with a free mind. Where did that sense of freedom come from?
Well, that was because the entire year was a little tough for me. I was playing up and down, sometimes good, sometimes not that good. I was not patient all the time. In some tournaments, I was really motivated. In some, I just wasn't.

And, I was also thinking a lot about the retirement. It was not a decision that I took in two days. It was taken after a long time. I just tried to stop two weeks before the US Open. I was telling everyone that I was going to finish the year, and that was going to be my last.

Maybe that decision took some pressure off me. I was a lot more free. I also talked to my parents. It was quite tough for me, because my team, my boyfriend (Fabio Fognini), everyone supported me in my decision. They couldn't understand really well but they supported me anyway. I know that for my dad, it was a big bomb (laughs). And it was like that. I spoke with them five days before the tournament started. It takes one hour, 45 minutes on the phone (laughs). I start talking to my mom, and behind my dad was there and I could hear him talking to her. Maybe that's why, from the start to the last match, I was trying to just play the best that I could. And everything was going so good.

Speaking of retirement, the decision took many by surprise, especially after your maiden singles Grand Slam title. Did you want to leave on a high?
For me, I don't like to compete in a bad way. And, sometimes, I didn't have this part (pointing to the heart) inside me all the time. I just play good in the moment that I really care. In the tour, you need to be focussed and need to have patience every week, because you're going to lose. And it's not nice. It was the first reason that made me take this decision. Also, I'd love to have more time for me and my parents. I'm 33 already. I want to enjoy a little bit for one or two years, and then maybe have a family. I just want to have everything in the right moment.

You almost quit in 2012 after a career-threatening wrist injury. But you came back despite the odds. Did you rediscover your love for tennis?
I never lost the love for tennis. I've had a few injuries. In 2006, one wrist. In 2012, the other wrist, then my knee, then my shoulder (laughs). Whoever says that sport is healthy, it's not true. At the high level, it's really tough. But yes, I never really lost the love. It's going to be my first love forever, I think. I don't see myself without tennis.

In 2012, the injury was a hard one because I was out for nine months. I gave myself another chance. I almost quit. But I was working and working and just trying to play all the time. I didn't play good at all until US Open (in 2013). I got in the US Open at the last second made semifinals. From there, everything started again. So, this is the point. You always have to believe, you always have to give everything. And then if you work, you believe that you can still do it. I'm always in that mood.

You've looked at the US Open victory as a reward for all your hard work over the years. Do you look back at your career with a sense of satisfaction or under achievement?
No, I'm really satisfied with my career. It's also the only thing that I asked myself: when you finish playing tennis, I would love to have the feeling that I gave 100 per cent to everything. So, I don't have to look back and say 'Oh my God, if I did this, if I did that, it could have been better'. I'm really happy with my career. I have one Slam in singles, one Slam in doubles (2011 Australian Open), No. 1 in doubles, top 10 in singles, 11 tournament wins. I mean, what else can I have? It's a really nice career.

Serena Williams looked well on course to achieving the historic Calendar Slam in New York until Roberta Vinci defeated her in the semis. How do you look at Serena's dominance in women's tennis, and what is the key to beat her?
I think Serena was really nervous with so many things coming together at the same moment. For her, it was worst that I played before, because in her mind, she saw me win. She saw me in the final. In the other final, she had to play Roberta. She never loses against us. I mean, you can see your Grand Slam done already. And this is not a good thing. It can put you under a lot of pressure. And that's what I think happened to her. She started the match pretty good. But she was missing so much. She was nervous.

She is a human. Normally people think that we are like a machine. But it's not. It's not easy to get through from difficult moments. When you're on the court, you're alone, you have to fight alone. And, it's tough.

Has life post retirement changed for the better? You're playing the Champions Tennis League now for Mumbai Tennis Masters. What plans after that?
I don't have a lot of plans (laughs). This is really nice. I'm here now for 10 more days, and I'm really happy to be here. The people here are really kind to us. The weather, it's too hot, but I prefer this weather than the one we have in Europe now (laughs). It's going to be nice also to see the culture that you guys have here. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we have a day off, so I've already planned a little tour in the city.

And then after this, I don't have a lot of things to do. I have a few political things. Like after the US Open, we didn't have time to go to our Italian president. So they're going to give us like a little ceremony for the victory. To me, to Roberta, also to Fabio and Simona (Bolelli), because they won Australian Open. So we're going to do everything together. That's going to be fun also. And then, I really don't know. I want to live day by day. Normally, we're really used to having everything so planned. So this will be a new experience to just wake up in the morning and say 'OK, what have I got to do now?' (laughs)

PENNETTA's CAREER IN NUMBERS

GRAND SLAM SINGLES TITLES: 1 (US Open, 2015)
WTA SINGLES TITLES : 11
GRAND SLAM DOUBLES TITLES: 1 (Australian Open, 2011)
WTA DOUBLES TITLES: 17
PRIZE MONEY: $14,197,917
Win/Loss record (SINGLES): 582/365
Win/Loss (DOUBLES): 393/243