Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/J. Pegula

5-7, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Elina, a lot to deal with today. How happy are you to get the win?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, definitely was not easy with all the conditions and the rain, stop and start. Warmed up maybe like ten times today.

Yeah, it was not an easy thing to do, but, I mean, everyone is in the same conditions, so you have to just adjust and go again. Very happy with the performance overall.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well done. How pleasing is it for you to be showing very good form this year at the big events, Australia and here, after your foot surgery? Were there any doubts when you went through that surgery that it might be harder than it has been?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, I feel like it's been hard enough already, because, well, the foot is something that we use on a daily basis, as well. With all the pain that I was struggling with for months, not stepping on the foot at all, and, you know, it was swelling up during that months, it was really an experience, painful one.

So, yeah, regarding the coming back on the court, of course I was expecting a little bit of discomfort. I was trying to really put a lot of work in the gym before starting on the court, because it was important to get the strength going. Yeah, I feel like I did well with my team to put, you know, a lot of work to make it, you know, confident and strong, you know, for it to be good at the tournaments.

Q. I noticed at your previous match you put that post on social media thanking your friends in the United States from the bottom of your heart for all their support. Was that comment made based on your experiences with Americans now, or was it also in the back of your mind what happened in the Oval Office between your president and Donald Trump and President Trump's suggestion that Ukraine should be more grateful?

ELINA SVITOLINA: No, it was based on my experience. I feel like since that meeting in the Oval Office, I got a lot of messages of support from the American people and also, you know, a lot of people here when I arrived at the tournament where, you know, just giving the love and support to Ukrainians for people back at home.

So, yes, it's just based on a personal experience that I had here. Also the massive support that I got taking in consideration that I played three American girls back to back to back. So, yeah, it's an amazing, really special to get that, taking in consideration, you know, all the stress that all Ukrainians are facing right now back at home.

Q. Just staying on that topic, you mentioned the stress. This is about as stressful time as there has been in a while. I mean, it's always stressful, I don't mean to suggest that, but with the changes going on. So what is it that you do to click your mind off, or maybe you're not able to click your mind off, or maybe you're still thinking about this when you're on the court, how does it work that you're able to play such incredible tennis with all this still going on? What's the routine?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, I mean, we're all humans. We get used to the situations. It's been over three years now the war is ongoing. I feel like right now, you know, I try to really split the time where I'm looking at the news or I'm checking, checking the news still every day, couple times a day, especially right now where there is a lot of news coming.

Yeah, there is time for that and there is time also for tennis. There is time for training and recovery and just completely switch off from everything. Also time with my family. You know, I have my daughter here. You know, Gael is here also. So, you know, it's nice to sometimes switch off completely from what's going on.

But it's just these moments, it's few hours that I try to get. I feel more refreshed and I feel like, you know, just good energy when I need to perform, because I feel like I need to play well. I feel like it's something that I try to do for my country.

You know, to see my flag, you know, raising and, you know, to see the tick with the wind from my country.

Q. Your grandmother is okay?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, she's facing a war every single day. So it's very, very stressful for my family. But my parents, they try to go there as much as possible to see her and to see the rest of my family who is back in Odesa, and when I have a moment and have a small gap in the schedule, I also go back to Ukraine to check on her and to do some work with my foundation.

Q. On a day like today where you have the starts and stops for tennis but you still have, like you said, kind of managed when you look at the news and you're a parent, is it harder on days like today to have structure for clicking back into tennis when you're in and out like this?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, I really try to have borders on the things, you know, as you mentioned, when I'm with my family, when I have my time where I can look into the news, where I can speak to my family back at home, because I know that they are not going to be a good news. It's been very long time that there is only bad news coming from Ukraine.

So I try to really separate these things, and also, when I need to prepare for my match, you know, I try to really focus on the things that I have to do, think about the tactics, think about what I have to bring to the court.

This really helped me. Worked with a psychologist, and she really, you know, introduced me to this, let's say, planning of the things that I have to prioritize. It really helps me, you know, to really know what is important in this moment.

Q. A question about your glasses. I notice you have been wearing them at night when you're working. Do you wear contact lenses when you play, and do you take the lenses out immediately after in order to rest your eyes?

ELINA SVITOLINA: No, I don't play with lenses. My vision is still very good, but this protects my eyes and I have a little bit of adjustment for my eyes.

So my vision is still very good, but I need to protect my eyes from the strong lights. Yeah, exactly.

Q. I was wondering if you might have taken any inspiration from Madison Keys, completely different players, you and Madison, but maybe similar in the sense that you both knocked on the doors of a lot of the slams, both around the same age, both making changes to your game, evolving. Watching her break through in a slam, I wonder if you took notice and thought, yeah, that could be done?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, Madison did an amazing job of winning the Australian Open. It's really special, special moment for her. I feel like she could have done it earlier, as well, because with her big game, and she always was the one playing big matches.

So, yes, it's very well-deserved and, for me, definitely shows that you need to keep working and you need to try to find, you know, these opportunities and to be there at that moment to take them.

She played unbelievable tennis. Yeah, it really shows that when you work really hard and you are there, you can, you know, just be the one taking that trophy.