THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 13, 2023

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

M. VONDROUSOVA/E. Svitolina

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Elina Svitolina.

Elina, tough loss today. Give us your thoughts on the match.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, was quite disappointed about the match, the performance today. So, yeah, just good tournament of course, but disappointed today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So many people watching in Ukraine this match, so many expectations there. Did that pressure and emotion have any factor today for you? Did it get to you today?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I don't know. Of course, I know that people support me, but is quite expected because I'm in semifinal. I think it's quite normal because is the semifinal. Quite expected.

Had to deal with the situation maybe a bit better. But I wouldn't say I was too nervous. It was just, yeah, I should have find a better way to deal with Marketa's game style. She's very tricky opponent. She gets lots of balls back.

Yeah, I'm just not very happy the way that I dealt with the situations, with some points at the beginning, as well. She played really well, yeah, dealt with my game better today.

Q. What are you most proud of about your achievement in these two weeks?

ELINA SVITOLINA: With the fighting spirit that I was showing. Yeah, with the nerves, as well, that I dealt. Of course, not today. Today I wish I played a bit better. Yeah, I wish that some games I play better.

But I think the matches that I played before, they were quite good. Yeah, just good matches.

Q. If you could go back to the day in October that you gave birth to Skai, tell yourself then you'd be in Wimbledon semifinal already, what would you think?

ELINA SVITOLINA: As I say, it would be tough to believe. But right now just really upset that I couldn't go further to play in the final.

Q. Can you describe what it feels like to have this whole tournament, everyone here, showing their love for you and support.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, feels unbelievable. To be fair, they supported me all the way through. Even today when I was down, I got a lot of support. I'm really thankful for the crowd to support me, be there for me, and all Ukrainian people as well. They support us quite a lot in different kind of ways, for a lot of Ukrainians who arrived here when the war started. Really thankful for all the people to support us in different levels.

Q. What message do you hope your run, your performance, making it to the semifinals, will send to people all over the world?

ELINA SVITOLINA: To believe in yourself. Different kind of levels, as well. In different situations, you always need to find the way to fight for your dream. Yeah, just continue dreaming and trying to achieve your dream.

Q. The ambassador to Ukraine for the United Kingdom was here, he was on court. Had you spoken to him before the match? Do you plan to speak to him?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I didn't know, to be fair. I'm leaving tonight, so... I didn't had the contact with them.

I didn't know that they were here. Thanks to them to come to support me.

Q. Do you feel the strength and the weight of Ukraine behind you while you've been competing?

ELINA SVITOLINA: For sure. For sure. Massive support. I got a lot of messages from different people. It's unbelievable that they been there with me all the way. Hopefully they continue (tearing up).

Q. The second set, when you came back little bit, did you think it was possible to twist?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I tried to fight back, but I guess I rushed little bit myself and didn't served well on that game when it was 4-3.

Yeah, I just tried to fight. It was a lot of people, a semifinal, so you don't have time to just let it go. I tried to fight. Got few games back.

I guess it was also nervous moment for Marketa because also playing semifinal is never easy to finish the match. I tried to fight back and just, yeah, give everything out there even though I didn't play my best today. Yeah, didn't happen.

She played great. She was really patient today. Was playing really great points until the very end.

Q. Do you think you can keep this spirit with you for the rest of the season? What has this tournament and the French Open done in terms of your belief that you can win a Grand Slam?

ELINA SVITOLINA: For sure I hope I can build on this. But right now I'm just really disappointed with the performance that I showed today. That's what I have right now in my mind.

Probably will need couple of days to really reflect on everything that happened because, yeah, I was trying to be really focus, even after the win against Iga.

I will need couple of days to really switch off myself first from everything and then think about what happened, what did I do right, and what did I do wrong, as well.

Q. Obviously it wasn't just you as a Ukrainian player who did well here. Some of your colleagues, as well. I know there's been a feeling amongst some players that the WTA have not been sympathetic enough towards you. Do you feel, after the results that you guys have had on the grass, things might improve a bit on that front?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I don't know if this should be connected, like how we play should connect to how much help we receive from WTA.

Q. Sort of the profile has risen internationally.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, but this not should be the case. We were, like, four, five girls that are top hundred, maybe six or seven girls that are 200, top 200. I don't think it should really be depending on the ranking.

As I mentioned many times already, we had to relocate our families. We are paying a lot, doing donations. We are all the time trying to help our country. Why should depend if we are higher profile or not?

If we are higher profile, then it should be other way around: we're getting a bit more paid. Yeah, it should not depend on the ranking really.

Q. Obviously very sad you're not in the final. We don't know who else is going to be in the final. How bad would it look symbolically with the Princess of Wales ends up giving the trophy to a Belarusian?

ELINA SVITOLINA: To be fair, I didn't really think about this at all. Right now I'm not in a good state of mind to reply to these questions. I will not be here. Yeah, I'm just upset that I'm not playing and not taking that trophy from her.

Q. Was your grandma there or other members of your family able to watch in Ukraine? Can you tell us a bit more about your foundation. They paid for people in Ukraine to be able to watch your match.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, my family was watching. A lot of people, as well, in Ukraine. I'm really happy that it was actually live in Ukraine because it took some years to actually make this happen for Ukrainian people.

I think it's really important for kids to watch tennis and other sports as well, to have something different in their life, for them to set their dreams, to set their goals. Like me, for example, when I was young, I was watching. My parents were buying these matches of the great champions so I can try to also take something from them, to learn something from them. I was imagining myself competing in the big stadiums.

So, yeah, I'm really happy this finally could happen. We are working with my foundation to give this opportunity for Ukrainian people, for Ukrainian kids, as well. So I'm happy about that.

Q. As sad as you are right now, how happy will you be to get back and see Skai and your family?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Very happy. It will be the best moment.

Q. I believe you played in the semifinal here in 2019. How different was that semifinal from today?

ELINA SVITOLINA: It was a completely different match. I'm more happy with the match today than the match I played that time. I think that time was even worse performance at the time. So I'm happy I made a small step to play a bit better today than that time.

I mean, both times, Simona, and Marketa today, played really amazing and great tennis. So, yeah, it's not much I could add more.

Q. You obviously wanted to win for yourself and Ukraine and everyone watching you. How tiring and draining has that been for you over the two weeks? It must be difficult.

ELINA SVITOLINA: For sure it's a big motivation, but as you mentioned, it's a lot of responsibility, a lot of tension. I try to balance it as much as I can.

But, yeah, sometimes it gets maybe too much. But I don't want to take it as an excuse that I lost today. I try to take it as a motivation for me. I just hope that Ukrainian people continue supporting me. It was really amazing. And, yeah, just hope that I'm going to get another chance.