ROLAND GARROS

June 5, 2024

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

J. PAOLINI/E. Rybakina

6-2, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Elena, tough result for you today, but a great run through to the Roland Garros quarterfinals. Can you just give us your overall thoughts on the performance today and just the experience here as a whole.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, it's been tough match today, and, of course, not the result I wanted, but overall I think it was a great couple of matches here I played. Yeah, now I'm just looking forward already for grass season.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I don't know if you also speak Italian because your coach seems to be Italian.

ELENA RYBAKINA: No, I don't.

Q. What happened today? Because Paolini was playing well. A lot of forehands that you missed. Is there any reason? Just a bad day at the office? How do you explain it?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, yeah, it's definitely not the greatest day. She played really well. She started much better. She was moving good. I started a bit slow, and she was aggressive from the first ball. Then I was just trying to find my game, which was always I would step back and I was trying to fight through, but in the end, yeah, as you say, it's not the greatest day in the office.

I was close, but she won. In the end I just, yeah, need to focus now on the grass season.

Q. I just wondered now will you watch the rest of the tournament and events next week, or will you kind of try and just switch off from tennis for a little bit?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, depends. I might see a little bit, but definitely I want to rest a little bit, switch off from tennis. Again, it's going to be preparation for grass, another block we'll try to do. I think some matches I will definitely watch, but not full probably.

Q. A couple of days ago you said that you prefer a heavier condition in terms of playing on the clay. Today it was kind of sunny, so do you think this kind of condition it's a little bit tougher, it works as an advantage for your opponent?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, today definitely was hotter, and the ball was flying much more. I think in the end my legs were not there. No matter which conditions, if it's slow or fast, I should have been moving better and some decision. A lot of unforced errors.

So I'm not, of course, really happy with the performance, but it is what it is. It's tennis. Not every day you can play good. I will try to take some good things from this match, try to analyze, and just move on.

Q. Bad luck today. Is there any particular reason why the legs weren't there today? Was that a surprise to you? Was it just one of those days, bad day at the office?

ELENA RYBAKINA: It was bad day. As I was saying, I was struggling a little bit with the health issues past few weeks, so I think it's just all together. But in the end no matter all these things, which were maybe happening outside of the court, I managed to get to the quarters. I think it's pretty good result.

Of course, I always want to win, but a lot of tough opponents, a lot of matches, and I think overall it's been positive French Open for me.

Q. Looking at the positive things of these past two weeks, what do you take away?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, definitely the way I was managing some moments on the court not maybe feeling so well. I think it's always a lot of things to discuss with the team after they went like this. Yeah, we will see how we're going to structure the rest of the year because still a lot of tournaments in front, and the schedule is not easy. Also, Olympics is coming, so we will try to do everything possible to be prepared for all these events.

Q. It's the end of Roland Garros. We may say it may be half season gone. I was wondering if you could tell us what and how satisfied or unsatisfied you are with the first part of the season. You won three tournaments. You had a few probably disappointing retirements because of health issues. What do you make of the first part of the season?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I'm really happy with the results. I mean, I played so many matches. Also, good wins against top players. Of course, it's a lot of ups and downs from my side, missing some events. Of course, I would like to play everything, but if the body is on the limit, I cannot do anything.

For now I'm pretty happy, and if I can continue like this until the end of the year it's going to be not bad for sure.

Q. You mentioned that there's some issues outside the court. I wonder if you can go into that a little bit. Also, I'm wondering how concerned you are that you seem to get ill or injured a lot. Is that something that's concerning the team and you in particular?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I'm not going to go deep in this topic for sure, but I've been working a lot, and I think there is a lot of, as I say, ups and downs. It's always different, but as I always say, also, the schedule is not easy.

At the end of the day everybody is trying to manage as best as possible. I think I've played a lot. As I said, if the body is on the limit, I can't go on the court. If I'm not 100% ready, then it's a risk to even get bigger injuries or something.

For now it's been health with allergies, sleeping, so it's a little bit different from maybe last year when I had back problems. I heal. It's always ups and downs. It's tennis, so we just trying to find the best possible way for me to prepare and be ready for big events like Grand Slams and 1000 events.

Q. Is that you who makes the decision in the end, I just don't think I should play this tournament?

ELENA RYBAKINA: It's always a discussion with the team. Sometimes they tell me that better to skip. Sometimes I'm stubborn, and then it's actually worse for my body. Yeah, in the end, of course, the decision is coming from me, but I always try to listen to my team.