AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2023

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/I. Swiatek

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Elena, congratulations. Through to the Finals over the World No. 1. How do you feel?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Very happy with my performance today. It was really tough battle. I was preparing and, yeah, happy in the end it did turn out my way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Elena, congratulations. When you play against a player like Iga, who's the best player in the world in the rankings, the dominant player, what was your strategy going in? What were you trying to do to make her uncomfortable?

ELENA RYBAKINA: For sure when you play against No. 1, I think you have really nothing to lose. I knew that I had to be aggressive from the first ball because she's a great mover, and she defends really well.

So I was trying to just attack her from the first ball, and it really worked well.

Q. Elena, your first time this tournament playing on the Rod Laver Arena. Was that a big factor for you showing the Rod Laver and the crowd and everyone watching what you could do? You've not had that opportunity yet this tournament.

ELENA RYBAKINA: It did for me well because I actually played at Rod Laver against Ash Barty in 2020. I played really well. I started well this season. I won in Hobart and then third round against her, and it was unbelievable crowd, of course.

I kind of knew what to expect on these big courts, and I just try to do my best and tried to focus on my serve.

A few games was not really successful on my serve, but in the end I think I did a good job.

Q. Do you think right now you have the best serve in the world? And, also, do you think this win will change something in terms of reputation and which court you get when and which round?

ELENA RYBAKINA: This I have no idea, and I really don't care on which court I play.

I try to improve from every match. I think about the serve that for sure I have one of the fastest serves. I was leader with the aces. Yeah, for sure it's my strength and weapon.

So there is few other girls that serve really well. So yeah, for now I'm happy with the serve. Especially this week.

Q. I'm curious, when you would watch Iga maybe last year when she was going on her streak or things like that, did you and your coach kind of sit there and identify certain things that you knew that if you played well with your game that you would be able to trouble her, that you would be able to kind of beat her?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think we played last year also, and we played many times against each other. I think that for sure the weakest point of mine was physically because she's, as I said, really good mover. With her experience, she knows when to raise the level.

So I think overall I knew that it's going to be tough match. When we watch with my coach just other players, we know what to expect, and we try to move from that.

Q. I was just thinking, you said you needed to be aggressive from the first ball against Iga. Now you play Jelena Ostapenko, who is always aggressive from the first ball.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah.

Q. Do you have to change what you do?

ELENA RYBAKINA: This I'm going to keep secret (laughing). I'm going to tell you maybe after the match.

But, well, she hits really hard, and she plays aggressive like me. So for sure I need to be really focused on my serve because today on one side I was struggling a bit. It's not easy if my weapon is not going. But no matter what, I think it's going to be tough battle like the previous matches. We see how it's going to go.

Q. How are you a different player than you were a year ago?

ELENA RYBAKINA: For sure I get experience throughout the year, and especially after Wimbledon. I think that I got a lot of experience, and even now I did great preparation with the team.

I lost in Adelaide. I was, of course, a bit upset because I thought that I'm actually playing well, feeling good, but still, it doesn't mean if you do good preparation that you are going to win everything.

So I knew that if I keep on going and we analyzed the last two weeks, in the end I knew that it's going to come a moment when I'm going to feel good on the court and start winning.

Q. You mentioned the experience of having obviously Wimbledon under your belt. So what is the experience that you apply to the second week now that you take from, you know, that title run there?

ELENA RYBAKINA: It's a lot of things. Of course, it's to expect a bit more attention, and you guys. Every round I will say it's more and more people, more attention, and I think it's a big part of it to stay mentally strong.

Yeah, just keep on improving, keep on believing. Yeah, I think that is the main thing.

Q. You're obviously a Wimbledon champion and in super form. Do you feel like your best is better than anyone in the world?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, maybe I will say that if I become No. 1, but for now I still think that it's a lot of things to improve. Many great players. Every opponent is really tough, and for sure for me I think it's still many things to improve.

If I perform like I did this week and it's going to be consistently for sure, I will say that I can be No. 1, I can beat anyone. For now I need to find my consistency also.

Q. Because of the unusual circumstances last year at Wimbledon, your ranking right now doesn't reflect how good a player you are and how good your results have been. How much, if at all, does that bother you that there's that number next to your name instead of maybe a much higher number?

ELENA RYBAKINA: It doesn't bother me because it's been already six months after Wimbledon, and the year just started.

It's long. It's a lot of tournaments in front. And for me the goal is, of course, to improve, but also to stay healthy because it's not easy to perform every week and feel fresh and don't be injured.

So I think that's the most important thing.

Q. Similar to Howard's question, is it motivation because you didn't get points back then to win a big tournament like this so you can get points? Is that something you use to drive yourself?

ELENA RYBAKINA: For sure it's a motivation, but as I said before, every tournament I come I want to win and no matter points, no points.

I love to compete, and no matter where I play. So for now I would say that I don't really look at these things.

Q. You played Iga many, many years ago in Milan. Just curious what you remember about that and her.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, it was really tough match. I think we played three sets. It was super long. I remember some good rallies. It was on clay, different surface.

But I think against Iga it's always tough battles, no matter if I win or lose. I think our style of the game is naturally we kind of like having these tough battles.

Yeah, for sure since she's No. 1, I think everybody wants to beat her. I guess it's also not easy for her to be No. 1 because everybody is aiming and really want to beat her.

Q. When you draw against her, do you want that match? Do you want to play her?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Which one?

Q. Like when you face Iga, you said everyone wants to beat her. When you see that you could face her in the draw, is that something that you want to happen and to see?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I was actually focusing match by match. This time I didn't really look into the draw. It's not my thing. I can see the draw. It's fine, but this time around I didn't really check.

So it's just after my singles, they told me that I'm going to play against Iga. I said, Okay, I'm going to prepare.

I tried to do my best. No matter who I play, of course, I want to win.