THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 8, 2024

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/Wang Xinyu

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Elina, you must be feeling good, into the quarterfinals.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yes, definitely was straightforward today match. I'm, yeah, pleased with the performance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Given the context to the match, your understandable emotions about what's happening back home today, how you did get onto the court and how you put in that performance.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it's incredibly sad day today for all Ukrainians. It was really difficult for me to really be here in a way and do anything. I just wanted to be in my room, just be there with my emotions, with everything.

You know, when you have these sad days where you don't want to do anything, it was this kind of day for me.

It's difficult really to explain, I guess, because of course for us Ukrainians, it's very close to our heart and very sensitive topic, very sensitive emotions that we feel every single day.

But today was one of the days where it was even more difficult because the missile landed on the hospital, the kids' hospital. Straightaway you see the images and everything that happened there. So many kids lost their lives.

Yeah, it's extremely tough day today.

Q. How important is it for you that you're using your platform here at Wimbledon to keep awareness of this issue and these attacks on the hospital and in general Russia's attacks in your country?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, of course this is one of the things that motivated me today, was just I have to put my head down and show up and do my best, my very best. Every Ukrainian is using their own way to raise awareness, to raise money, to help in every possible way they can.

My way is through tennis. This what's really motivated me today to do something. I tried to be focused on my job, tried to be focused on what I can control. Just do what I can in a way.

I'm playing, of course, such an amazing event as Wimbledon. I have to also think about how I can use that in a way for Ukrainian people. At least with my win today, it was a small light that brought a happy moment for Ukrainian people. I got so many messages today. The people are thankful for my performance, for my win today.

Of course, it's brings me a lot of, let's say, joy in a way of this sad day.

Q. Your level seemed really high today. What are your thoughts on your next opponent being Rybakina?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I've been feeling quite well on the courts of Wimbledon. Been striking the ball extremely well. I think every match I've been improving, playing better and better. Serve been working quite well, as well.

So yeah, it's going to be another big battle in the quarterfinal. Played Elena a couple of times already so I know what to expect. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little bit of a better day regarding the spirit-wise.

Yeah, just try to work on the things that I have to use against her and go from there.

Q. Do you still have family in Ukraine? How much, if at all, are you able to communicate with them?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yes, I have my family there. My dad just was there for a couple of weeks to see my grandmother. I have my uncle. His family is there. I have many friends there. Pretty much everyone is based in Ukraine.

I have contact pretty much every single day. I've been talking, yeah, on a daily basis with Sergiy Stakhovsky as well. I guess you guys know him. Also a well-known name in tennis. He's helping a lot with my foundation. He's my close friend. It was nice to hear from him and hear also what is really happening. To not only find out the news from the media, but also from my friends and family.

Yeah, it's nice to hear their voices. Of course, sad voices, but in a way it still warms my heart when I speak with them.

Q. Given the continuing atrocities like this morning, are you comfortable with Wimbledon's policy of allowing Russian players to compete under a neutral flag or do you think it needs to go back to how it was in 2022?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Of course, I would prefer that. But it is how it is now. I cannot change. We tried every possible way to talk with many organizations.

Yeah, for now I just want to raise awareness, to raise funds for people in need, to raise support for the kids through my foundation, through United24. So many ways we can help people and not only focus on the things we cannot control.

Q. Obviously tennis players dream of getting to the latter stages of Grand Slams. Is it hard to feel like you want to celebrate, to feel happy about these achievements in comparison to what's happening?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, yeah, it's true. I think for many Ukrainians they will share this feeling with me. We feel guilt that we feel happy or that we feel good. Not only because I'm in the quarterfinal of the Grand Slam, but in everything.

Like you go to holidays, you feel guilty because you're not in Ukraine. Many people cannot leave the country. Many people are at the war. Many people are fighting, defending our front lines.

Yeah, I think we've been living with this feeling for over two years. I mean, it's nothing new. But yes, of course, it's not a pleasant feeling to have.

Q. Focusing on your next match for just a moment. How would you describe the way Rybakina plays on grass and what it's like to go up against that?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, she strikes the ball very big. I think it's not a surprise. I think it's quite obvious that she has a big serve. She tries to take on straightaway with the big shots from the baseline.

Yeah, I mean, she doesn't change much on surface to surface. She's been hitting and going big for her shots. Yeah, that's what I will expect and try to make her feel uncomfortable.

Q. Your next opponent, Rybakina, was born and raised in Russia. When you played her at French Open, you shook her hand. I wonder if you will shake her hand at the end of the match?

ELINA SVITOLINA: She changed her nationality, so it means she doesn't want to represent her original country, so it works.

Q. What did it mean to you to be able to wear the black ribbon today? With club rules, we don't often see that. Also last year you got to the semifinals. What would it mean to you to get to the final this year?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yes, it's been approved by the Wimbledon today, the black ribbon. I feel like it would be understandable after such a big attack for my country.

Yeah, it's for sure for me such a big event. I want to play well here and try to do my very best to defend the semifinal. But also I think important for me to take one match at a time. I've been doing that quite well. I think I had great matches from the first round. Very tough opponents. I've been playing well, handling the pressure well. So just I try to go out there and do my very best for the next one.

Q. Given your performances, you mentioned the messages you received after your performances, you've been in touch with fellow athletes. How is that helping you on the court?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yes, so I've been talking to few of them. I feel like us as athletes, we have our platform. We represent our country on the world stages. I feel like we are almost as powerful as some people who are representing our government. Every single week we are competing on the big stages, and we have this big platform. We're representing not only ourselves, but also Ukrainian people.

The support that we have been getting, it's been great. Yeah, I feel like we need to continue using it. Yeah, for sure it's a lot of pressure and a lot of I would say weight on the shoulders that we have. But me personally, from my side, I feel honored to be one of the faces of Ukraine. Yeah, I try to do my very best every single day to give this to my people.

Q. Elina, you were talking about creating awareness. What kind of support do you get from the locker room, from the other tennis players? Do you feel like after two years the awareness has been going through the ranks or...

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, we don't talk much about it. Of course with Ukrainians, yes, we do. Especially on such a day, it's such a big topic for us, the Ukrainians. With any others, not too much.

Also because I feel like the news are much calmer right now about what's really going on. Us Ukrainians, we have our telegram channels, we have our families there who are telling us what's happening.

For the rest of the world it's less I think press are talking about it. When it's not something that close to your heart, you don't really go into these details because it's normal human thing to not watch the horrible things that are happening around the world.

I don't think they know much about what's really happening.

Q. Last year you had an incredible relationship with the crowd here. Are you feeling the same thing again this year?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I feel support. Of course, quite warm welcome, as well. A bit different, I would say. It's fine for me.

I think it was more because I was coming back from the pregnancy and all the story around it made it extremely sweet.

Yeah, it's quite normal that people are expecting me not to play much better or defend the results that I did. I'm fine with that.

Q. It feels like you feel responsibility to go out there and play, even though it was the last thing you felt like doing today. Given how close the emotions are, how hard is it to focus on each point and winning the match?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it was extremely tough. Like since the morning today, I felt like in a fog little bit with my thoughts, with my just feelings inside.

Normally you are thinking all day from the morning about your match, about your opponent, about how you're going to play.

Today was very quiet with my team, as well, because everyone is aware around me. Everyone is know what's happening. Was very calm. It was straightforward, to the point, what I have to do, one, two, three on the court.

Maybe also that's why I played really, really loose and, say, very focused on what I had to do. It was a lot of thoughts about what's happening and how, like, sad and all these images that I have in my head about the children, all that horrible things.

Also in the same way, like, few things that I have to focus on the court. It worked today quite good because I think I played very well.