Johanna Konta may have felt star-struck rubbing shoulders with Britain's best Olympians but at the US Open she is no longer an unknown quantity.
Konta plays America's Bethanie Mattek-Sands in round one on Monday, looking at least to replicate her breakthrough run to the last 16 here 12 months ago.
Then, Konta was a surprise package, having previously won only one grand slam match in her career, but she has shot to fame since, rising to 14th in the world and reaching a major semi-final at the Australian Open in January.
Chris Evert, an 18-time grand slam champion and six-time US Open winner, is in no doubt the British number one can make the latter stages.
"She's a big hitter and she wins a lot of free points off her serve," said Evert, speaking for espn.co.uk. "So definitely, she could get deep in to make a quarter or even a semi-final if all her weapons are in place."
Konta, however, has kept her feet firmly planted on the ground and at the Olympics in Rio last month she could barely believe it when recognised by her fellow athletes.
Team GB's tennis players were staying with the golfers in Brazil, including major champions Justin Rose and Danny Willett.
"Justin said to me, 'you've been having such a good year' and I thought, 'my God, he knows who I am!'," Konta said.
"I had a couple of those moments, surprised that people know the sport I play to begin with.
"I was definitely one of the more social ones, I made an effort to sit down with other athletes, I didn't just stick to our group. We were sitting with the boxers, the rugby players, with the hockey players.
"I tried to learn as much as I could about the other sports because going in there I really didn't have any idea about them I'm ashamed to say."
Konta lost in the second round of the women's doubles and quarter-finals of the singles but admits she remained in "Olympic mode" even while playing in Cincinnati last week.
"I was well prepared for the Olympics in the sense that everyone told me it was nothing like anything you've experienced before and it was just that," Konta said.
"It was very strange going there and incredibly strange leaving because you just get immersed in this bubble of sport and competing.
"There are so many competitive vibes there that it was quite shocking to the system. To be surrounded by so many athletes - I was definitely having withdrawal symptoms when I left and still was in Cincinnati."
Back in grand slam mode, Konta will do well to escape a fiendish quarter of the draw in New York that includes Garbine Muguruza, Madison Keys, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Belinda Bencic and Olympic champion Monica Puig.
First, she must overcome Mattek-Sands, a local favourite, and who may still be riding her own Olympic high after winning gold in the mixed doubles with Jack Sock.
Mattek-Sands and Sock beat Konta and Jamie Murray in the first round.
"We hadn't played each other ever and now we are playing each other twice in three weeks," Konta said.
"She is playing very well, she has an incredible amount of experience, she is coming off the back of something that is incredibly inspirational and life changing.
"I think it's no secret that a lot of American players play better here. I'm expecting a very inspired Bethanie and I will do my best."
Source: PA
