ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2024

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/D. Parry

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. A strong performance from you today. What are your thoughts on your match?

ELINA SVITOLINA: It was not easy to play against a French player and a French crowd, you know. So for sure, you know, I was happy that I could finish the match in two sets, because there started to be more people. You know, I felt like I had to really step up my game.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. What do you feel has been the most challenging for you this year in terms of getting your game and maybe the fitness part of it at the level you want to?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, the most challenging was my injuries. I wouldn't speak about the tennis, because I feel like a lot of the times I'm just battling with my body. Before the tournament, during the tournament, I try to adjust my practices, try to adjust the preparation before the tournaments, and of course training in between when I have a chance.

So, you know, it's not easy for me these days. I try to find new ways how I can recover quicker, how I can stay healthier. Sometimes the things works; sometimes doesn't.

So I'm all the time in this process of trying to see what works and what doesn't.

Q. I was looking a lot of your interaction with your coach that is really very unusual, very good one on the circuit. I'm looking it for many years. What help you to decide this is the person I would like to be coached on the tour?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Are you from Netherlands?

Q. I'm from South America where you have also a lot of followers in South America where you have never been, I think.

ELINA SVITOLINA: I have been long time ago playing juniors there. But, no, not recently. Actually I wish that there were more tournaments.

Q. Yeah, 125s tour.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, if my ranking drop, I might come. (Laughter.)

Q. You're kindly invited.

ELINA SVITOLINA: No, to be fair, I actually look to go for holidays there maybe one day.

Q. Why is it hot spot?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, the Peru?

Q. Oh, the person who makes with me the podcast is the legend from South America, Laura Arraya. She will kindly help you to...

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, maybe a list of good places to go.

Now coming back to your question, well, it's a process of finding good coach, a person who helps you. It's not easy, because you're spending so much time together, and it's important to find someone who you can accept, you know, the harsh sometimes comments, sometimes good comments. It's all the process of this, you know. Ups and downs as well can be challenging.

So, you know, I cannot say that every day we have a great day, but, you know, it's the process, it's the work that we try to make the best out of it. With Rae, you know, I feel like after one year or one year and a half that we worked together, you know, we try to find things that work for me.

I think it's also not easy because I have been struggling with few injuries. So for the coach, you know, it's not easy to see and not easy to adjust as well. So it's a little bit of everything that we have in our partnership.

But, you know, so far I'm happy that we bounce back after some tough losses and we put the work in. Hopefully, you know, this partnership that we have will last.

Q. You just talked about the preparation and schedule before the tournament, and especially since last year the Rome and Madrid became like a two weeks' tournament. It might be tough for some players and maybe easier for some players. But if you lose like in earlier round, you're going to have plenty of time to prepare or to kill. What is your thought, your opinion on this kind of schedule?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, I can say from my side I didn't go far in the tournaments, so for me was nice to go home to spend some time with my daughter, to spend some time for my recovery. For me was beneficial, to be fair.

And I feel like for the players who don't go far in the tournament, also they have a chance to play 125s in the in-between week. So I feel like maybe for some players it's beneficial maybe; for some players who go all the way it can be tiring, as well. So I think there is plus and minuses. It's tough to please everyone.

But yeah, I feel like why not to try, why not to see how it goes. Because for so many years we had this one-week or was ten-days' tournament, so it's a change. We have to adjust, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but I feel like it's good to see at least.

Q. Paula and Stef have been talking about how they kind of help each other, they talk a bit about tennis tactics, how to cope with the lifestyle and that sort of thing. Wonder how from your side how it works with Gael, whether it's helpful or sometimes it brings issues? How do you find that dynamic?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, for us there is no issues. It's only pluses, because we both understand what we are going through.

We have very different approach to the tournaments, very different approach to the losses, as well. So in a way it's probably helps us to see situations differently. I feel like helps both of us to analyze and to help each other in tough moments.

We're used to it now. It's been years that we had together, few years that we are married, as well. So for us it's definitely that helps us. When we have tough moments, we know what to say. We know also, you know, you start to know a person what we like, what we don't like.

I feel like, you know, for us it's a perfect match (smiling) in a way. Because me, after losses I can be sometimes couple of days really moody and really difficult to handle (smiling). So he knows how to treat me and how to, you know, to comfort me.

Also, you know, he's very different. I let him also play video games, you know, to release all these negative things that sometimes he has after the losses, and sometimes media also pisses him off a little bit (smiling).

So, yeah, but in a way I feel like we are used to it now, and it really helps us because we know how to support each other and we know what we're going through.

Q. Just wanted to pick up on your answer before about the challenges of recovery and training and how much more difficult it is than it used to be. Is that more difficult than a year ago when you were kind of at the start of your comeback trail or do you mean more difficult than at the start of your career all together?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I had three stages. Before pregnancy, when I was playing, I feel like I didn't really had any major injuries. I had a pain here and there but nothing, like, major. Then the comeback was mostly for me mentally to get back in the zone, to get back in match readiness.

Actually, I got injured last year here for the first time where I start to feel pain in my ankle. Then everything start to really not go really well with my ankle, and I had to stop after US Open, because I had the fracture.

Everything started there. Then my back went in Australia, and I had to take also time off and recovery. Since then I feel like my body haven't been 100%. It's every day up and down, you know. I have to manage with my physios, with doctors, and with my tennis coach as well, the amount we have to train and the amount that I can handle.

So, yes, some days are very good; some days are less good. So that's what we have right now on our plate.

Q. First I'm curious if you watched Iga and Naomi's match yesterday? You talked about how tough to get recovered after the pregnancy, and giving birth. But based on your experience, can you understand? Or, you know, it's reasonable for you to see Naomi coming back this quickly and adjusting this kind of a match this quickly?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yes, I watched the match. Really, I was inspired by their tennis, by their resilience. Really, it was amazing match. I was surprised by the level of Naomi, especially on clay. You know, we all know that she can strike the ball extremely well on hard courts, and, you know, it's a big challenge to play against her on hard.

Yes, I was a bit surprised by her performance yesterday, because she played like she never left, you know, and was playing amazing.

Yeah, hopefully, you know, she can build on this, and I'm sure she will and come back even stronger. Of course it's quite early still in her comeback, but I'm sure that she is gonna bounce back and we're gonna see more and more great matches.

I played against her in Miami, as well, so I experienced she's getting stronger every single week, and she's, I think, coming back in her great level already now.