MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 31, 2023

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/J. Pegula

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: You're into your second consecutive final after Indian Wells. Just talk us through how pleased you are to get through to Saturday's final.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, very happy. Difficult match today, and actually, the whole two weeks were really tough. Yeah, happy to be in another final.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. So what happened? You're down a break, 4-2, and then all of a sudden you started on a different level. What transpired there?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, yeah, I was playing today better when I was down. Then I think that I was doing everything correct. It was just not enough maybe energy. Maybe I was getting a bit mad when I was down. So I was trying to push myself. And also the box, the coach was helping me.

Yeah, was not easy. And also, I think with all these breaks because of the rain was not easy after also to start, because second break was a bit longer.

Yeah, and plus Jessica, she played really well some moments. It's not easy to play against her because she keeps the ball really low, and it's difficult to redirect the ball. Yeah. Also, she played well.

Q. Not many players have done the so-called Sunshine Double. How tough is it to go all the way through one tournament for two weeks and then come somewhere else and do it all again?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, it's really difficult, and because of different conditions in these two weeks by the matches you could see that it's much more difficult for me here than even in Indian Wells.

Yeah, for now, it's just the finals still close but the same time far. The Sunshine Double I try my best, and hopefully I can make it.

Q. Given how you've been saying you're not 100% physically just in terms of fatigue and things like that, and then today you kept having to fight back from a break down, did you find that after you were broken and found yourself behind in the scoreline that you almost kind of just started hitting bigger, almost freer?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I think that I started a bit more aggressive, because also, I knew that if it's gonna go to the third set, it's gonna be much more difficult. So I maybe risked a bit more even in the end of the second set. It was (indiscernible) on her serve, and I was still trying to push the second serve. Even with the mistakes, I knew that it's gonna come.

So third breakpoint I won, so I was just trying to hit more, yeah, because I thought that that's the only way to kind of break through and start winning again.

Q. When you came to Miami after Indian Wells, before you played your first match, if you would have known then that you would make the semifinals, would that be a surprising result to you, given how you felt, or is this what you expect of yourself now?

ELENA RYBAKINA: No, I didn't expect to be in the final. I knew that it's gonna be very tough from the beginning, from the first match. And it was, actually. First two matches was really tough.

So, yeah, I didn't expect at all. I was just trying to play match at a time and focus and push myself and fight till the end, so even when I was down, I was still trying to find a way. Successful for now.

Q. Next opponent will be either Petra or Sorana. Can you just talk about what the challenge is about each player and just how much the experience also of playing these big finals might help you on Saturday.

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think that both of them are really tough opponents. Both are hitting hard, aggressive, and have very good shots. Against Petra I played in the beginning of the year, and she played really well, but it was much faster courts there.

I think it's gonna be different if I play against her again, but for sure it's a lot physically, because here the courts are quite slow, especially after I think rain. When it's that humid, it's not easy.

Both matches, no matter who I play, is going to be very tough. Yeah, hopefully I can make last push and it's gonna go my way (smiling).