Elina SVITOLINA: “I remember watching the Agassi-Medvedev final as a kid”

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina (WTA 192) held a press conference after defeating Anna Blinkova (WTA 56) in the 16th round of the French Open 2023.

Elina talked about what was the most memorable tennis match for her from her childhood:

– In an interview you gave to the court, you said that Roland Garros was the only Grand Slam broadcast in Ukraine. Do you have a childhood memory of watching Roland Garros on TV and your earliest memory of this tournament?

– We now have more tournaments broadcast in Ukraine. More precisely, not now, but before the war, we used to broadcast a lot of matches.

Going back to my childhood, I remember how Andre Agassi played in the final against the Ukrainian Medvedev. It was an amazing final. I remember that match. I remember watching, supporting Medvedev. Unfortunately he didn’t win. But yes, it stands out in my memory.

There were also a few other matches that inspired me to dream big, want to race here, and want to play in front of so many people.

So, yes, that was my motivation back then as a kid to do my best and practice, ”Svitolina said.

In 1999, Ukrainian tennis player Andrey Medvedev played against American Andre Agassi in the final of Roland Garros. Then the Ukrainian player won two starting sets, but lost the next three matches. The match ended with a score of 1:6, 2:6, 6:4, 6:3, 6:4 in favor of Agassi.