Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/K. Siniakova

6-1, 1-1 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Elina, obviously not the way you want to finish a match, but what are you most pleased about with your game?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Definitely wish a speedy recovery. Katerina, she had great wins here, great tournament. So of course very unlucky for her to finish a tournament like this. Lots of positives for her to take on.

For me, it's a little bit more time to recover for tomorrow's big match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You learn a lot about people when you're on the road with them. What's something that you learned about Gael traveling with him, and what's something he learned about you?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Interesting question. I would say, I don't know, he's very chilled person. I think, you know, spending less time outside, you know, saving a little bit more energy. Of course, you know, he's eight years older than me, so of course he preserves a lot of energy, more than me (smiling), and his game is more physical. So I think he kind of, you know, shared more of that to me.

I don't know, actually. I think it's a good question for him also to ask what did he take away from me (smiling).

Q. How do you think things have changed in tennis in terms of gender equality over the last decade, say? Obviously you have had time away with maternity and that kind of thing. Do you think things are moving in the right direction? What sort of things would you like to see change in that regard?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, I think definitely want to see more equal prize money on the WTA tournaments, because of course in Grand Slams we are equal, but I think there is still a big gap between like 250s, 500s, and 1000s, so I think some tournaments of course made it, so I think want to see more of that.

I think there are more things changed over the time when I started, it was years ago now, but yeah, I think we can see that, you know, there are people watching, like the views are great for women's matches, semifinals, finals. So I think we also deserve a bit more on that.

Q. What about scheduling?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Scheduling, I think it's improved. It's improved a lot, and I think now it's always women's match and men's match night sessions. I think it's improved massively.

Q. This is not the case for your next match, but what's your strategy for preparing for opponents you have never played before? And is it different?

ELINA SVITOLINA: It is a little bit different, because I watch some videos on the YouTube and I try to find some content on players that sometimes even, like, face some players, it was recently, who I never seen, like, playing on the TV, for example, in the locker room and somewhere.

Yeah, I do some research, and of course my coach also is doing a lot. And then, you know, when we talk tactics, he shows me, like, some videos and the way that the player is playing. Yeah, so maybe combinations, or yeah, some patterns that a player does so I do extra, I would say, because the players that I played couple of times normally, yeah, I don't watch as much YouTube.

Q. Have you ever come out and played someone and it didn't, like, the feeling of their ball was completely different than what you had seen or what you thought?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, been couple of times, because on the YouTube, for example, in the videos, you cannot see the shape that the player is playing.

The heaviness, as well, because I think from some racquets, from some strings, the balls are coming off a bit heavier. Sometimes it can be, in some cases, that it is other way around where there is a big hitter, but the ball, it feels light. And then some of them were, you know, there is lots of spin on the ball or the strings, like, gives you a lot of spin, the ball is heavier naturally.

Yeah, it's a bit of, yeah, like mixture of different things.

Q. Do you feel like the world has kind of forgotten about the war in Ukraine?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I mean, for sure. I feel this way. I'm still very much in it, because, you know, I have my family there, my friends are there. I go back quite often there, as well.

But I think because of the other wars, as well, around the world, I think it's, yeah, not the headlines anymore for a long time.

Q. Someone who supported the Ukrainian players quite a bit is someone you're going to see in the next round, Iga Swiatek. Can you say a word about that matchup with Iga?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, she was one of the first ones actually who really, yeah, supported Ukraine, and she was wearing the ribbon for a long time, talking about it, about the war for many, many times.

You know, we did, you know, the match for Ukraine. Raised, you know, they raised lots of money for the cause.

So for me, you know, she always been and always will be the player who did the most.