THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2022

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/O. Jabeur

3-6, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Elena, you are the Wimbledon champion. How does that sound?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I can't believe still. Maybe one day, in few days, I sit down and I realize what I did. But for now I'm super proud of myself. Of course of my team and everybody who worked with me.

It's been tough, but I think we made it all together.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said on the court you were nervous before the match and during it. How did you manage your nerves?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes, I was super nervous. Yesterday I had a good practice. But in evening I already started to feel like I'm too nervous. In the morning also.

But I was just trying to tell myself that it's a match and I already had experience. I mean, for me the worse thing, if you're up, then you lose the match. Unfortunately I had many matches like this, so maybe it helped me a bit.

I was trying to convince myself that it might happen again, and hopefully it's not the last time I'm in the final. Not the first; not the last. I already did a great job with my team.

With these kind of words I was trying to calm myself down.

Q. Were you saying that to yourself during the match?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes, during the match, of course, because I didn't start well. After I was just trying to tell these things to myself. Then I just focus completely on the match and what I had to do.

Ons, I mean, she played unbelievable. She's very tough opponent with all the dropshots and everything. After I just moved completely to the match and was focused point by point.

Q. Ons just joked, she said she should teach you how to celebrate because she saw you were a bit too much cool maybe, not very excited.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes.

Q. Can I ask you how you're going to celebrate tonight?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I have no idea honestly because we worked a lot to be here, where I am right now. But it's so unexpectable these two weeks, what happened.

It was such a tough match mentally and physically, so in the end I was just super happy that it finished. In this moment I just didn't believe that I made it.

I don't know. But for sure I'm going to celebrate with my team, with my friends and family.

Q. On the same thing, have you ever done a big celebration or every time you win is it always very calm?

ELENA RYBAKINA: No, I'm always very calm, so...

I don't know what should happen. When I was giving speech in the end I was thinking, I'm going to cry right now, but somehow I hold it. Maybe later when I'm going to be alone in the room, I'm going to cry nonstop. I don't know (smiling).

Q. Did you not just want to jump up and down and shout?

ELENA RYBAKINA: No. I mean, I didn't know what to do. It was shocking. I don't know, maybe because I believe that I can do it deep inside. But same time it's, like, too many emotions. I was just trying to keep myself calm.

But, yeah, I don't know. Maybe one day you will see huge reaction from me, but unfortunately not today (smiling).

Q. Your victory also comes with the £2 million check. Can you explain what the money, beyond it being money, what it means, to have been able to earn that through your tennis?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Honestly, when I started to play tennis, I mean, I never thought about the money. I mean, it's a great job because you can make a lot of money. But same time I know how expensive it is.

For me it was just a joy to play tennis. I was always enjoying. In the beginning it was just for fun. I never thought. Many times I was going to the tournaments, I didn't even know about the prize money, nothing.

Honestly, like, I got now of course big amount, but I have no idea what we're going to do, how it's going to be. For me it was never on the first place.

Q. The excited person today was the president of the Kazak Tennis Federation. How good was it to justify the faith they showed in you and give them their first Grand Slam title?

ELENA RYBAKINA: It's just unbelievable. I'm super happy. I appreciate Mr. Bulat Utemuratov. He came to watch and support me from the semis. He was always on the phone through the weeks, through the matches, supporting me. So I'm really, really grateful for everything.

I mean, it's just a history. It's tough to believe, to be honest.

Q. What allowed you to stop being nervous, to start playing more steady?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Maybe the first set I was too nervous. Of course, Ons, she played well. I needed time to adjust to her game.

But then after I thought that I'm going to fight till the end no matter what. Just tried to focus on every point because it was very tough. It was super hot. I think because I was nervous physically, I thought I cannot anymore.

But in the end I was just running to all these dropshots. I think it was first time really when I run so much to all these tricky shots from Ons.

Q. You said some very nice words about Ons on the court. Can you tell us what you think of her as a person and as a player.

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think she's very good person. Actually first time when we met, I went to play maybe one of my first tournaments WTA. I was there with my dad and I didn't even know where is the tennis club, nothing. And I met her. She was super nice to me. She showed everything. That time I think she was -- I was out of 200, but she was also not so high in the ranking. It was very nice.

Then to see how much she achieved also, I saw the list, history she made, just respect to her and her team. It's a great job.

Q. You spoke about it's kind of a pleasure to play tennis professionally. Obviously you were nervous today. Were you able to enjoy the experience at all or was it, I'm here to do my job?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Not going to lie. Today I was too stressed out. I think I didn't enjoy it as much as I should maybe. I enjoyed more semifinal. I don't know why. I played also very well that match.

I think that I'm going to enjoy for sure maybe tomorrow, maybe when everything, like, is going to be calm. I'm going to be around my close friends, family. For sure this I'm going to remember all the memories on this day for sure. But, yeah, for now it was stressful.

Q. Now that you've done it, won a slam, do you think you might go into other slams and enjoy that experience more?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think for sure. I think for sure. If I'm going to be able to go far in the other Grand Slams, I know already the road. I know how stressful it can be. But I think, of course, it's just experience.

Next time I will approach it different.

Q. I appreciate you represent Kazakhstan. You obviously have Russian links. Is there a concern that Russia may try to politicize this particular win?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I don't know. For me, as I said on the previous interviews, I'm playing for Kazakhstan very, very long time. I represent on the biggest tournaments, Olympics, which was dream come true.

I don't know what's going to happen. I mean, it's always some news, but I cannot do anything about this, so...

Q. What do you think you proved to yourself today and what do you think you proved to the tennis world?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Hmm. Maybe I proved that not always you have to have great team from the young age because I didn't till age of 17, 18. So I think this is the most important thing, that everybody, no matter their financial situation, no matter who they are, they can play and achieve many great results.

And to myself that I can actually win a Grand Slam, believe more in myself, and maybe I can win more Grand Slams. Who knows? But for sure that's the goal, and that's what I'm going to work for.

Q. You mentioned playing the Olympics was a dream. In some ways has this two-week run also been a dream, almost a fairy tale?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes, for sure, it's a fairy tale. As I said, it's difficult to describe now how I feel. But for sure I'm going to remember these two weeks, especially today, forever. I mean, it's just something I will never forget.

I don't know. Maybe this, as I said, is going to help me to go and play really well on the other Grand Slams, other big tournaments, so...

Q. Wimbledon banned Russian players this year partly because of the worry about propaganda from Vladimir Putin. Obviously you're Kazakhstan, but you were born there and grew up in Russia. Do you condemn the war and Putin's actions?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Sorry, I didn't hear.

Q. Do you condemn the war and Putin's actions? I think people would like to know what your stance is.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Sorry, my English is not the greatest. I didn't understand the second part of the question.

From my side I can only say that I'm representing Kazakhstan. I didn't choose where I was born. People believed in me. Kazakhstan supported me so much. Even today I heard so many support. I saw the flags. So I don't know how to answer these questions.

Q. I wanted to ask you, if you remember, when and how you developed your serve? Also, one particular point of the match at 3-2 in the third set, Love-40, in the moment did that feel like this is about as big a moment as there can be? What did you tell yourself to get through that?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I was serving, right, at 3-2?

Q. Yes.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I remember. I was just focusing. I knew I have this big weapon, serve, but it didn't work out for the whole first set. And Ons, she was using the serve very well. I was just thinking that I need these big serves right now because if not, it's going to be very tough to replay again.

How I developed my serve? I think it was just the work of my coach also because I always had this power. We changed a bit the technique. I don't remember exactly which moment, but for sure it was on the preseason because we have more time.

We were trying to find this natural motion, so it's effortless, the power I have.

Q. You've said you didn't get a professional team around you until you were 17. We all know in this sport there are kids younger who do have a lot of money, teams around them. How did you develop the self-belief in your late teens to compete with them, know you're as good as them?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think it's, of course, because of my parents. They always believed in me. They believed just first they wanted me to play and have fun on the court, which I always had. After, when it was tough moments, they always believed in me.

I was lucky because when I was young, I had very nice group of players, and we were all competitive. It was always competition, friends around. It was best time I think. So I don't know.

Q. If you had won in a normal year here, you would have got two thousand ranking points and move into the top 10. Is that something that's going to motivate you to get there? Is it at all a goal, to get the ranking up as well?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think I have still few more tournaments to try to be top 10. I mean, of course it's pity, but same time I cannot change anything.

I believe with this win that I can do it. Maybe I'm not top 10 now, but I can do it, and hopefully not only top 10.

Q. You mentioned your parents before, you mentioned them on the court. Have you had a chance to speak to them yet? I imagine they would have loved to have been there to see it.

ELENA RYBAKINA: No, not yet.

Q. What do you think their reaction will be?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Probably they're going to be super proud (tearing up).

THE MODERATOR: You okay?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes.

You wanted to see emotion (laughter). Kept it too long.

THE MODERATOR: You okay?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Take a couple more questions and then we'll finish.

Q. How is life going to change for you now, Wimbledon champion?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I have no idea. I just know that now for life I'm a membership here at Wimbledon. Sounds amazing. I have no idea.

Q. When will you next get a chance to see your parents? What did the Duchess of Cambridge say to you?

ELENA RYBAKINA: What do you think they're going to say to me?

Q. First, when will you see your parents next? And what did the Duchess of Cambridge say to you?

ELENA RYBAKINA: She congratulated me. She said that I played really well. I mean, I was in shock so maybe half I didn't hear. I'm very sorry. But for sure she was super nice. It was amazing to get the trophy from her.

And what was the second question?

Q. When will you next see your parents?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Oh, this I don't know. We just have to decide what I'm going to do now. Few more days we're going to stay here.

THE MODERATOR: We'll wrap up there.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Thank you.