INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 21, 2023

Anhelina Kalinina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/A. Kalinina

6-4, 1-0 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Obviously not the result you wanted today, but your thoughts on the last two weeks.

ANHELINA KALININA: Yeah, I'm proud with this anyway, despite of today I didn't finish the match. But all two weeks are amazing for me.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk about the nature of the injury. Were you feeling it going into the match?

ANHELINA KALININA: I feel like I am at my physical limit today especially. Yeah, I felt the leg after the Beatriz Haddad Maia match. I pushed myself yesterday. I was able to do that.

But today, yeah, I started, but after, I don't know, two, three games I couldn't. I was trying, but it was absolutely impossible.

Q. The two weeks that you did have here, the wins that you had, the way you were able to win, what is the thing you are most proud of?

ANHELINA KALININA: I'm most proud of my fighting spirit these two weeks. I was fighting despite of the score, any situation, any weather conditions, opponents. Everyone was very tough. A serious draw.

Yeah, I am very just proud that I was able to compete at this level with these quality matches, yeah, and was able to win them.

Q. Considering all the delays, how late the match started, did the organization ask you if you wanted to play today? Did you want to play tonight?

ANHELINA KALININA: I mean, as I understood we don't have any other choice because tomorrow they have fully booked schedule. They kind of cannot put us tomorrow.

Q. In terms of the level you were able to play this tournament, obviously you'll be top 20 on Monday, does it give you a different level of expectation or ambition going forward in the season?

ANHELINA KALININA: I mean, I don't have expectations. I would say I have my goals concerning my tennis, not the ambitions about counting points, I don't know, ranking because it's absolutely for me the things that are starting to bother me when I think about this.

I'm trying to focus on my tennis, on my game, what I have to improve. I have a lot of things to improve (smiling). I have a lot of work to do.

Yeah, it's ambitions but about my game, not about other things, not concerning about the game.

Q. You said you were at your physical limit today. Are you concerned for the coming weeks, for Paris, or just the tiredness and this moment?

ANHELINA KALININA: I think it was the tiredness since, I don't know, Tuesday this week. For sure right now we don't plan at all to play, to work. I will take for now I think four days fully off just to recover.

After I finish, I think it was absolutely correct, even though the emotions I want to play today. After I went off court, I almost in the locker room fall because the leg started to cramp. So, yeah, that was absolutely correct decision.

I just need really days off.

Q. You had your physical limits today. Talking about the form that Elena is in, the season she's had, what do you think she's capable of going forward?

ANHELINA KALININA: Sorry, what?

Q. What is she capable of doing moving forward the rest of the season, what she's shown here this week?

ANHELINA KALININA: You don't see what she's doing?

Q. I'm asking you.

ANHELINA KALININA: She's serving 200 kilometers. Not only 200, she's also making winners like no one on tour.

Q. Do you think she can win in Paris?

ANHELINA KALININA: Anyone can win in Paris, but she has good chances.

Q. On Elena, you've known her I believe for a long time, before she is the Elena Rybakina we know.

ANHELINA KALININA: Much more before.

Q. You mentioned on court about being inspired by what she's been able to do. What has been the biggest difference from the person and player you knew to now?

ANHELINA KALININA: I remember we were playing 25K in China many years ago. I cannot say, but it's like of course the time period maybe of, I don't know, seven, eight years. But she's very young. She improved I think all her aspects, she made them very consistent. She's much more powerful. Amazing power, fitness, everything.

But with her serve, even at that moment when we were playing on 25K, she was serving like very good, but it was the serve like not the consistent serve I would say. Now I think it's her huge weapon. Huge, yeah. Without any doubt, yeah.

She's amazing player, top player. I am sure if she's going to do like this, maybe new world No. 1 for sure.