"I don’t think I’ve wrapped my mind around the fact where I am right now": Rising American Peyton Stearns US Open run yet to sink in

21-year-old rising American, Peyton Stearns has been an outside home hero story at the US Open with the former college standout reaching the fourth round where she will face Marketa Vondrousova.

Taking down Katie Boulter, she next has the Wimbledon champion in her sights for a spot in the Quarter-Finals in only her second main draw appearance at Flushing Meadows. A run that she can't quite wrap her head around.

“I don’t think I’ve wrapped my mind around the fact where I am right now because I’m honestly trying not to think about it too much. I think that’s been the biggest key to the success this week, is not letting all of this get to my head,” said Stearns.

“I just try not to think about it too much in the sense of where I am, what’s happening, who I’m playing or where I’m playing kind of thing. I remember in the first set, 5-4, when she was serving in the game, I told myself that it was 0-0. In the last game, as I was serving for it, I told myself I was down Love-30 at the start of the game just to kind of, like, flip the switch a little bit and get me thinking instead of thinking, like, Oh, my gosh, this is the match game, or this is the set game, I can close it out here kind of thing.”

Becoming the first Texas player to become NCAA Collegiate champion, Stearns then did as Ben Shelton did and left the college system in pursuit of turning pro.

“After my freshman year, I honestly thought about leaving, but it was a good thing I didn’t. It was a little up in the air, 50/50. At the end of the day, I was glad I went back and did what I did. I kind of left college on a high note. I mean, you can’t get much better than winning individuals, winning team, quarters of doubles, leaving from there,” Stearns continued.

“It was a pretty easy decision. Actually, I made that decision in December of my sophomore year. I was out all fall with a foot injury, hadn’t picked up a racquet and told the coach that I’m leaving after this spring, no matter what.”

Next up is Marketa Vondrousova, but no matter what happens, the goals continue to be reached: “I’ve kind of set goals in the rankings a little bit for myself, and I keep surpassing those goals, so I have to keep creating new ones, which is a great thing.”