AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2025

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/V. Kudermetova

6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: That was a good fight back in the first set, but pretty much business from there on. Your thoughts on your performance.

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, was tricky today at the beginning. But yeah, I'm very proud of myself I could find my way. Yeah, after feel like was feeling much better on the court, even though it was not easy.

But yeah, very happy the way I came back in the match and finished it in two sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The message on the camera lens, you wrote, "Spirit of Ukraine." Why today? Why that message?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, well, I mean, as I said in previous interview on the court, as well, that this fighting spirit that I have is completely Ukrainian spirit that I try to show, that I try to represent, as well.

Especially now these days in a very difficult days for Ukraine. It's almost been three years that the war is ongoing. Of course, it's on a daily basis a very heavy rucksack that all Ukrainians have on their backs.

For sure, for me to find a way to win matches, to find a way to bring a little light, a little win for Ukrainian people is something that I feel I am responsible of.

To bring the fight is the least that I can do.

Q. Do you feel that sense of responsibility to remind people that there's still a war going on?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, for sure. I mean, as an athlete, as one of the top athletes of Ukraine, I feel like I should use my platforms, I should use my voice at the maximum that I can to raise awareness, to raise funds for multiple different kind of directions of what our Ukrainian people are in need.

Yeah, I feel like sometimes people, they forget that there's still the war, that we still need help. Yeah, just for me very important to show the resilience, to show that I'm here to fight no matter what, and I want to represent this spirit.

Q. You mentioned on court about the surgeries, the toughness of coming back from that. How does it feel to now be - I don't want to jinx it - fully fit and healthy and you're showing the result of that?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Of course, it feels great because last year I've been struggling quite a lot with multiple different injuries, which came I would say, yeah, one and a half years ago with my foot. It's all connected. So after my back was hurt, I was all the time struggling with here and there pains.

Right now when the surgery happened in September, I had the real time to really rest, to do different procedures for my back, have meetings with the doctors, and really try to take care of it.

Also, I took some time to strengthen all the parts that I had to because the season is very long. Sometimes you don't have this time to really stop and invest in your body.

So yeah, as you might know, I didn't play the tournaments leading up to Melbourne. Just to win, few weeks to gain more strength, to play exhibition match, to play some practice matches.

So yes, it's really important for me to prioritize my body right now and to really prioritize my body. I've been trying to do it last year, but when you're already injured, it's very difficult to do, especially with so many tournaments going on.

Yes, sometimes it can be really challenging.

Q. How did you feel playing a Russian player today? How do you think the new President Trump will impact Ukraine's situation?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I played many times already since the beginning of the war against Russian players. For me it's nothing new. I'm extremely motivated to win today, that people in Ukraine wake up to good news. I'm very happy that I made it happen.

Regarding the presidency of United States, I feel like we should leave the stage to him. It's difficult. There is a lot of talks going on how it's going to be, what is going to be, if he's going to finish the war in few days or not.

We can discuss this for hours, but no one knows really what's going to happen. We are just patiently waiting for this moment.

Q. In terms of you said not playing any lead-up tournaments before here, getting everything where you wanted to be physically, once the Australian Open began, after you'd done all your training, did you feel 100% ready to go, or was this coming back a little bit too early? Where were you physically at the start of the tournament?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I felt quite well. When I landed in Australia, I played matches, practiced with very good top players. I felt very good. This was a good sign.

Also, gave me a lot of confidence to, let's say, in the first few rounds I was not thinking too much about the injuries. I was just enjoying myself being pain-free.

Of course, there are still little thoughts in the back of the mind. But to be fair with all the matches, all the four matches that I played here, I'm really happy with my fitness. I'm really happy with the way I've been handling, like, tough, tough physical matches that I had.

Yeah, so far so good.

Q. When Gael won his last match over Taylor Fritz, he kind of laughed at the idea that he could win the tournament. How do you feel about the idea of winning the tournament and of him doing the same?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, to be fair, it's still very, very far from it. I don't like to speak about it too much because there's still many matches. Now it's actually where the tournament starts, where everything starts now because now you have super tough matches, you're playing against top players, you're playing against the players who have been here for many times and know how to deal with different kind of pressure situations.

Yeah, I feel like I need to put my head down and put the work in. Yeah, I don't really think in that way. Of course, I believe that I can make it. For me it's always been an ultimate goal, to win a slam. We are still very far from this.

Q. You are actually 7-0 when it comes to playing Russian players since the start of the war. You've been talking about your fighting spirit. Where do you get the strength? Is it something you do, especially when you know you'll be facing a Russian player? Next round you can be playing against Rybakina, as well, who is Kazakhstan, but... And the other question is, do you see a time when you could be actually shaking hands with your Russian opponents?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I don't do anything different. For me is the same routines that I have in the morning, before the matches. Everything is the same.

It's just I feel the spirit is different. I'm really, really putting everything out there. I feel like I put all my energy there. If I'm not going to win, but I'm going to almost die on the court. I'm not going to let her win that easy.

So I feel like this fighting spirit is really pulling me through these matches. As I mentioned, it's just the associations that me personally I have with this country. It's very painful and very tough on my heart. So, of course, I have an extra motivation for this.

The second question?

Q. Of shaking hands, do you see a time?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I mean, adding to my feeling that I have and association with this country, for me, to be fair, I don't really see it happening because it's just a terrible, terrible feeling. I not wish to anyone to ever experience this.

To wake up to the news of when your friends die on the front line, been killed by Russian soldier, it's something that really, really heavy on my heart.

Q. The coin toss, what is your thought process? Do you always receive? Do you change it according to opponent?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I change it according to how I feel on the day, what's my tactics. Yeah, it's different all the time. Also, depends little bit on the opponent.

Sometimes I feel good. If I warmed up before, I feel good on the returns, I will probably choose a return. Same with the serve. Yeah, it's changing all the time.

Q. Do you choose one more than the other?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I think I choose serve now for the past two years. I've been choosing serve mostly, yeah.

Q. Mentally I was curious how difficult was it last year managing injuries and all the pain, trying to continue playing through it? At what point did you decide that it was enough and something needed to change? Also, were you nervous before your first surgery?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it was already too much. I should have stopped earlier last year. I waited too long. I wanted to play more matches. I injured again little bit more my foot in Monterrey. Yeah, my first two rounds were really, really crazy in the US Open. To be fair, I don't even know how I won them.

The first match I had so much pain, I couldn't walk the next day, so I didn't practice at all. I had to have a procedure with the doctors to drain the cyst out of my foot.

I mean, I don't think that you do that during the Grand Slam. Actually with the painkillers, with some procedures, I could win my second-round match and then play three sets with Coco.

I don't know. Maybe it's stupid or maybe smart. I don't know, to be fair (smiling). I just have this want to play. I want to compete. I feel like I'm playing well. I feel good on the court, so I want to continue.

But sometimes my body is not allowing me. That's why I really want to take time to make some breaks between the tournaments and really try to find the time to do a proper recovery.

Q. Before the surgery, were you nervous going into that?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, I was very, very nervous. Of course, I mean, after giving birth, you would think that everything is fine. But actually to have a general anesthesia is something, like, scares you for the first time because you don't know what to expect. You don't know how it's going to be.

Yes, I was very nervous. Also, I guess when you are a top athlete, you are worried little bit if you can come back to the top level, if you can actually move after, or if you can, like, brakes on your foot afterwards because now I have two screws in my ankle. It sounds scary. Yeah, of course, you have doubts.

I guess with the confidence of winning matches and confidence of moving well and, yeah, with the team, as well, I'm really, really happy with my team right now. They give me confidence. We work through tough moments.

Yeah, it's mixture of everything. It's just about the confidence, I guess.