Special guests and furry friends: The best press conference moments of 2023

After the formalities of playing a match are done, there are still some responsibilities to be handled. In 2023, the press room was the site of not only some of the year's best one-liners but also some memorable moments.

Here are some of our favorites from a year's worth of press conferences:

Sabalenka proclaims her new Best Day Ever after AO win

Aryna Sabalenka's Australian Open victory -- her first Grand Slam victory -- last January was not just the manifestation of a long-awaited dream she had for herself. It was also the dream of her late father, Sergey, who passed away in 2019. 

When she entered the press room after a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Elena Rybakina, Sabalenka's joy was evident. She dubbed the fateful Saturday in Melbourne "the best day of my life right now."

Naturally, she was then asked: What was was her previous best day ever?

"I think when I met my boyfriend. I think he's going to watch this interview, so ..." she affirmed, before blowing kisses.

Fernandez and Townsend own the Paris press room

The doubles team of Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend quickly became fan favorites after the two left-handers made their debut as a pair at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Dubbed "Team Taylah" by fans on social media, they especially took Paris by storm at Roland Garros -- both on and off the court.

Seeded No.10, Fernandez and Townsend stormed to their first Grand Slam final together on the terre battue, which included an emphatic 6-0, 6-4 win over No. 1 seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. 

As the spotlight shone brightest -- and, maybe, in a nod to being red-hot? -- Fernandez and Townsend responded in a humorous way: They donned sunglasses when they met the media.

It was only a small snapshot of the off-court chemistry that helped the two shine on court in 2023. (Even if, as the story goes, they never spoke before teaming up in March.)

"I didn't even say hi," Townsend said. "I was, like, 'I don't know this girl. This is going to be fun!'"

'Call you later, bro!' Gauff's family cameos in D.C.

Gauff's summer surge was one of the stories of the season, and after she won the first of the three titles she captured between August and September -- the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open -- her phone was ringing off the hook. Literally.

Gauff's winning press conference was interrupted not once, but twice, by family members calling to offer their congratulations. First, as she answered a question about if and how her game had changed since her first-round loss at Wimbledon a month before, one of her brothers interrupted her train of thought with a FaceTime call.

"I'm at press right now, bro," she said, laughing. "I've got to call you later!"

And after hanging up, big sister hit another winner: "That's the first time he's called me in, like, two months. I'm not even kidding. I'm usually the one calling him."

Less than one full question later, Gauff's phone chimed again -- this time, with her dad, Corey Gauff on the other line: "Now my dad is calling," she paused, "Oh, my God!"

As it turned out, family greetings were just the start. After Gauff was crowned US Open champion a few weeks later, she was inundated with congratulations from everyone from U.S. President Joe Biden and former Present and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, to several Hollywood A-listers.

Pegula brings a four-legged guest to US Open Media Day

When Pegula arrived in the Arthur Ashe Stadium media room on the eve of the US Open, she got reporters laughing as soon as she sat down. Joined on the dais by a yellow Labrador retriever, Pegula kicked things off with a zinger, and told the room that the pup was ready to answer any questions they had. 

Her name? Aptly, Ace -- and Pegula was sponsoring her training as a service dog through K9s for Warriors, an organization dedicated to providing trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. 

Ace and Pegula -- who's a noted dog lover and founded her own dog rescue charity, A Lending Paw -- first linked up earlier in the week, and she took her on court for the US Open's "Stars of the Open" celebrity exhibition event.

"12/10 a very good girl," Pegula posted on X, the platform formerly called Twitter. "Happy to be a part of Ace’s training and journey before she finds a veteran to call home."

Swiatek gives heartfelt tribute to a 'Friend' Matthew Perry

Actor Matthew Perry's unexpected passing in the fall not only shook the entertainment world. Its impact was also felt in tennis, as the "Friends" star was a devoted tennis fan who attended many big tournaments. 

At year's end, World No.1 Iga Swiatek -- who was famously star struck by Perry's presence in Arthur Ashe Stadium during her US Open victory in 2022 -- gave a heartfelt tribute to the late actor at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals and spoke candidly about what the American sitcom means to her.

"I read his book [Perry's memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing"] last year, and I've been watching 'Friends,'" she began, "and this TV show was kind of a thing that [got] me, I don't know, not lonely in my teenage years."

Watch Swiatek's full response to the question in the clip below.