QATAR TOTAL OPEN

March 1, 2021

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Welcome back to Doha. Top seed in the tournament. How different is it than when you're not top seed? Do you prepare differently? Do you approach the matches differently? Or is there a lot of pressure? How do you look at it?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, for sure it's nice to be a first seed, but you have to focus one match at a time. I'm 5 in the world, so it's quite expected, you know, in some tournaments that I'm a top seed. Definitely gives me this extra motivation to play well here.

I always like to play here in Doha. This year is a bit different because I think the surface is a bit different because they made it for the quallies for Australian Open, so it's, yeah, it's different but I'm happy to be here.

Q. Is it possible you could be lifting the Golden Falcon, the trophy, on Saturday? Is that a possibility?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, for sure it's my goal. I really love this trophy. I'm really sad that I don't have it in my collection yet because it's one of the most beautiful trophies on tour.

I played one semifinal I think here, couple of quarterfinals, so, you know, it's tough to predict, but I'll do my best to have this trophy in my collection.

Q. You're coming into this tournament after having reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, and you lost a tough match to Jessie Pegula, someone you beat in Abu Dhabi, and I want to find out what you learned from your loss against her. What do you bring forward with you now that you've had some time since that last match?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, definitely was a tough one. I was playing really good from the beginning of Australian swing and I was feeling really good, and was really sad that I couldn't go further than the fourth round.

I think I could go much further, and for sure my goal was to win the tournament. Unfortunately, I played not very good that match and just have to, you know, to analyze. I have to move forward.

I mean, it's not much to say, because she played really good at the end of the third set and went for it, and I missed my chances to come back to play well, because she was 4-1 up and then 4-3 and I was serving.

This is really disappointing. You know, I have to work, I have to try to give myself another chance to get in that situation and to try to play better.

Q. I notice also this week in Doha you're scheduled to play doubles with Victoria Azarenka. How did that come about?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, we played a couple of times before, and we are friends. I think it's nice to play with someone with who you feel comfortable.

It's, yeah, just nice to play some doubles, to get used to the surface after Australia. I think you have to regroup really quickly, and I think doubles is one of the ways that you can practice, you can try to adapt quickly.

Q. You mentioned there that you're playing doubles as well this week. In terms of competitive matches, is that really to add to your sort of game? Are you treating that maybe as a more competitive sort of challenge to aid your singles?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, for sure when you play doubles you want to play well. But also, I think the goal is to get used to the conditions here.

For me, I think this year it's very tricky, the scheduling, and you don't know if you're gonna play, what you're gonna play next months, if there are going to be enough tournaments.

Yeah, it's just to keep your competitive mindset on the right track. I think doubles is helping you to, you know, to be in this mindset and, you know, just have another chance to compete and improve your game.

Q. You have been knocking on the door in terms of Doha the last few years. You mentioned quarterfinals, you mentioned semifinals. How did you feel in those years compared to this year? Do you think you're in a better mindset, or do you think you're playing better in terms of your tennis now?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, definitely I feel better than last year. Last year was a bit tough for me to these two tournaments, Dubai and Doha. I was not in the right mindset. I was not feeling good on the court.

Now this year is a different story. I feel that I had a good chance to play well, but anyway, there is lots of good players and I have to bring my best game each match. So that's what I'm focusing on. I will try to do my best.

Q. It's roughly been a year or so now when this sort of bubble environment started. As a competitive professional, are you sort of getting used to the fact of playing now without fans in the crowds? Is it becoming, dare I say, sadly a new norm?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, for sure get used to it. I try to focus on my game. But still, it's quite sad, you know, to play without fans. It was amazing to get few matches in Australia with the crowd.

Definitely it's very different, but I think also that we cannot leave the hotel and, you know, you are kind of stuck in your room. That's not ideal, but that's what it takes to play the tournaments right now.

In general, I would say it's not easy, but, you know, we are playing tournaments, we are trying to, you know, to do -- everyone is trying to do their best to give us a chance to play. So I'm happy just to play any tournaments that are on the calendar.

Q. I wanted to ask you about your latest TikTok videos. I came across your most recent one that you created since you have arrived in Doha. I just wanted to ask you where you draw your inspiration for creating them? How long does it take you to actually film and produce them?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Oh, well, the inspiration just comes like instant. You know, I think that it should come like that. I try to sometimes to think, really like sit down and think that I have to do a new TikTok, and that's not very natural.

This one just came like instant, and I was thinking that maybe I should post some kind of welcome, like, to Doha. I thought about TikTok, so that's, yeah, it was very natural.

Normally takes -- it depends. I think the most, the tough one was for Nike I did to present the new collection. That one took maybe two-and-a-half hours.

But this one was quite easy, and, you know, I really enjoy sharing with people some fun videos, some, like, piece of me that I think that they can like and to make their day better, to share with them a little bit of story of professional tennis player.

So I really enjoy sharing that, and I try to all the time to do something fun (smiling).

Q. Speaking of the Nike collection that you debuted in Melbourne, what do you think of the current style? Certainly a lot of different colors and combinations. What do you think about your current kits?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I really love this collection. I think it's one of my favorites.

There have been many amazing ones, but this one I think is something even more special. And now we have I think five different styles. So everyone can mix and match, and that's definitely really nice for the players and I think also for people who are watching tennis to see something different. I really love it.