THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 28, 2022

Dayana Yastremska

Press Conference

A. BOGDAN/D. Yastremska

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Bad luck today. How did the match go for you?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: Well, I don't know really what to say about the match. I don't have any words to describe it. It just felt really uncomfortable on the court.

The last two weeks of tournaments wasn't really well for me. Like in the trainings feels like I'm prepared, but then you go on court, and, I don't know, I don't have many words to say about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. What role do you think athletes from your country can best play now for both your home country and for the world during this struggle?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: What do you mean, like...

Q. What role publicly can you and other athletes best play to help your country and to send a message to the rest of the world?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: Well, of course the better you play, the more people can hear what you are talking about, about your country, and about what is going on there.

It's very nice to represent your country, and I hope the girls will do well. I don't know. I'm very sad that I lost, because I know that people from here are really supporting Ukraine, and I even felt it today in the match that people were supporting me a lot.

It's hard, to be honest. Like you really want to go home. It's a long time I haven't been there. Yeah.

Q. I'd like to ask you about one other athlete. What does Vitali Klitschko mean to Ukraine as both an athlete and a leader, as mayor and a very public figure around the world?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: He's a very strong man in every way. Very proud of him. He's legend in sport, and he's becoming a legend as a person.

Q. First of all, I want to express my sorrow, everyone's sorrow, about the tragedy that's hit your country. When the war broke out, many players, many people said, We want peace. But few players have said, We should do all we can to combat the invasion. Few players opposed the move on the rankings or supported the Wimbledon move. Have you been disappointed in that?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: I feel like Wimbledon made right decision that players from Russia and Belarus, they cannot play. I think that's fair.

I think it's not fair that they took the points away from everybody. That's not fair. And to be honest, I don't know why all players are okay with that. Couple players said something that it's not right.

I don't know why everybody are just not getting like into one word and why they don't say like it's unfair even against them.

So comparing to what is going on in Ukraine, and more players are talking about why Russian and Belarusian players are out from the tournament than they talk about the Ukraine. So it's very tough to say what players are supporting to these athletes from Russia and Belarus to play at Wimbledon or they support Ukraine.

So I don't know. If in other sports the Russian and Belarus are out of competitions, I think in tennis it has to be the same.

Q. So that that has disappointed you?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: I'm supporting Wimbledon that they took Russia and Belarus away, but for taking the points away, I think it's not fair to everybody.

Q. I just wanted to follow up about Vitali Klitschko. You mentioned that he's a legend and the world is getting to know him. What would you most want people around the world to know about him and to feel about him?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: Well, he's there. I don't think people will understand what is this, to be in the place where is the real war are going, but I think the most important thing is that the world needs to know that we need support. Ukraine needs support.

People there are surviving. Our military, they are crazy people. I'm so proud of them. Every single person who is there now in Ukraine standing by the family, by the city, by the country, I'm very proud of them.

I think that the world can see what is going on there. There is not much to understand. I wish to everybody in this world not to understand what is going on there. But we need support.

Q. Two things. I'm sorry, I don't recall what you said about your own family and your friends. Secondly, what has it been like all these months not to be able to go to your home?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: It's hard. For me it's first time that I'm gonna be almost five months away from my city, from my country, from my home.

Even though you get used to it, you still want to be back there because it's your home. You want to see your grandparents, and you want to stay a little bit at home.

But you get used to it, and it's hard.

Q. Your own family and friends?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: My mother with sister, they are in South of France, in Nice, between Nice and Cannes. My sister is practicing there.

My mother left Ukraine before Roland Garros. My father, he was all the time in Ukraine, but he could come only for 12 days out of Ukraine, and he came for the Wimbledon with me. But soon he needs to go back to Ukraine.

Q. Making aware of the situation, being here, playing tennis and talking to media, do you think that's a chance to maybe tell people what's going on and maybe try to achieve something in that respect?

DAYANA YASTREMSKA: I think just talking, it's not going to help. To help Ukraine, it means we need to receive a lot of things to be able to defend.

If I'm gonna talk about it, maybe some people gonna hear me, but I think all the world now is talking the same about Ukraine and supporting Ukraine.

So my words are that they have not a big meaning, but all I can say is just I'm very proud of my country, and I hope it's going to be finished soon.