THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2022

Lesia Tsurenko

Press Conference

L. TSURENKO/A. Kalinina

3-6, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Give us your initial thoughts on today's match, if you would.

LESIA TSURENKO: I think it was a very tough match, and probably not the best from me, but Anhelina played very good from beginning of the match, and I think this put me in trouble.

So I was just fighting. I was just, you know, staying, and I showed her that I will not give up. So I think that was the key.

Yeah, I just fight for every point.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. We noticed the ribbon on your top. Obvious reason why, but could you talk through why you decided to wear it. It's not usually allowed at Wimbledon.

LESIA TSURENKO: I asked, and the answer was, yes, we can wear it.

Again, the horrible things that are going on in Ukraine in the last week, terrorist act, a lot of civilians dead. And especially it's very painful for me to see that Russian propaganda is just saying that, for example, that shopping mall in Kremenchuk was not working.

That's lie, because my fitness coach, he's from that city. His mother-in-law -- right? -- she's working in this shopping center, and she was lucky that she had a day off. Him and his father, they were not far away from that place. So they were, I think he got like some piece in his head.

So when the father was -- sorry, my English is not good enough. But the father fall down because of the wave.

It's just horrible what is going on in Ukraine. I just, I feel terrible, and I feel very guilty, and I feel that seems like there is nothing I can do. So the only thing is continue playing, and as I said, I donate 10% of my prize money.

Q. First of all, I'm sorry for the tragedy in your country. Two things. Daniil Medvedev has said, Well, when you get 10 people, you get 10 different opinions. I don't know what the situation is in 10, 20 years. Maybe I will know. My first question is: What do you think of that? And second of all, what do you say to people who say that Russians cannot speak out because of the nature of their government?

LESIA TSURENKO: Look, my situation, my family lived in Georgia. So in 1993, on the New Year night, from 1992 to 1993, we escaped from Georgia, because it was a war there.

This war was made by Russia, so for me is the second time when kind of my family is affected by Russian government, by the actions of Russian government.

So it's 28 years. I'm 33. So we escaped when I was like, three, four years old. I was four, yeah.

So it should stopped. It should stopped. 28 years for me personally since the first time that it affected my family. So somehow it should stop. This is my opinion.

If there is something that every person in this world can do, I think it's good if they do it. If they think that to donate $10 means nothing, no, it's not true. It means a lot.

In the city, in the main city of my region, Mykolaiv region, they don't have water for few months already. So if you think that $10 is nothing, is 10 bottles of water for these people.

So sanctions have reason. Sportsmens got banned for a reason. Russia should be stopped. That's my opinion. And I feel very sorry for countries like Ukraine, for countries like Georgia, and it's not like I don't feel bad about other conflicts in the world. I just think that Russia is doing too much, you know. It's too much. And they should be stopped in any possible way.

Q. Do you agree then with Wimbledon's decision to ban the Russian players?

LESIA TSURENKO: Yes, I agree. It's just a step. It's just a good step to show that that's what we all have to do. Also, I am Ukrainian. There is no other opinion in my head.

Again, I would be the first one to say that, No, you should not ban them. But as I told before, I have heard only from one Belarusian player -- and sorry, last time I was wrong -- and from one Russian player, who talked to me personally and told me I'm against the war.

I have heard one Belarusian and one Russian player. I did not hear anything from any other player.

So for me, the silence means... I mean, it's not good when -- I don't know. I thought I have a lot of friends on tour, especially from Russians and Belarusians.

Q. Can you kind of feel the support that the English and British public has...

LESIA TSURENKO: Of course.

Q. A lot of flags.

LESIA TSURENKO: Of course. It was a big court. Two Ukrainians. A lot of people were watching us. We felt amazing support, for sure.

Today we, on the way from hotel to the club, we got a driver. She took two people from Ukraine in her house. So I think it's amazing when people do, when people help Ukrainians so much.

I saw it, how people lost, they feel really lost. I have been at the Polish border with Ukraine, and I saw hundreds, thousands of people. They just don't know where they go. They have all their life in two bags. They have kids, grandfather, grandmother maybe with them, and some, also disabled people. And they are lost.

So any support that you give to Ukrainians is amazing.