Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina (WTA 76) held a press conference after losing to Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic, WTA 42) in the Wimbledon 2023 semi-finals:

– Elina, today is a heavy defeat. Share your thoughts about the match with us.

– Yes, I am very disappointed with today’s match, with today’s performance. So yes, it’s just a good tournament but today I was disappointed.

-So many people watched this match in Ukraine, there are so many expectations. Did that pressure and emotion affect you today?

– I don’t know. Of course I know that people support me but that’s to be expected because I’m in the semi-finals. I think it’s pretty normal since it’s a semi-final. Quite expected.

I had to deal with the situation. But I wouldn’t say I’m too nervous. I just, yes, had to find a better way to deal with Marketa’s playstyle. He is a very tough opponent. Returns many balls.

I am not very happy with how I handled the situation, including some moments in the beginning. He played very well, he coped better with my game today.

– What are you most proud of for your achievements during these two weeks?

– The fighting spirit I showed. I want to play a little better today.

But I think the matches I’ve played before are not bad. Yes, just good matches.

If you could go back to that October day when Skye was born for you and tell yourself that then you’d be in the Wimbledon semi-finals, what would you think?

Like I said, it would be hard to believe. But now I’m very sorry that I couldn’t go further to play in the final.

– Can you tell us what it’s been like for this whole tournament, with everyone here showing you their love and support?

– Yeah, it’s incredible. To be honest, they supported me throughout the journey. Even today, when I felt bad, I got a lot of support. I am very grateful that the fans supported me, stood by me and stood by the whole Ukrainian people. Many Ukrainians who came here when the war started, support us in different ways. I am so grateful to everyone who supports us on different levels.

– What kind of message do you think you can send to all people thanks to your performance and reaching the semi-finals?

– Believe in yourself. In different situations, you always need to find a way to fight for your dream. Yes, just keep dreaming and trying to make your dream come true.

– The British Ambassador to Ukraine was here, on the field. Did you talk to him before the game? Are you planning to talk to him?

“To be honest I didn’t know. I’m leaving tonight, so… I haven’t spoken to him.

I didn’t know you were here. Thank you for coming to support me.

– Do you feel the power and weight of Ukraine behind you during the competition?

– No doubt. Definitely. Great support. I got many messages from different people. It’s amazing that they were with me the whole way (she cried).

– Do you think that if you bounce back a little in the second set, you can come back?

– he tried to resist, but he was probably a bit hasty and didn’t serve very well that match with the score 3:4.

Yeah, I was just trying to fight. I think it was a frustrating moment for Marketa as well, because the semi-final game is never easy to finish a game. Even though I didn’t do my best today, I tried to resist and give my all.

He played great. He was very patient today. He played great points until the end.

– Will you be able to keep this spirit until the end of the season? How has this tournament and the French Open affected your belief that you can win the Grand Slam?

– Sure, I hope I can build on that success. But now, I am very disappointed with the game I showed today. Now that’s what I mean.

It’ll probably take a few days to really think about everything that’s going on because yes, I tried to really focus even after beating Iga.

It will take me a few days to first really disconnect from everything and then think about what happened, what I did right and what was wrong.

– Obviously, as a Ukrainian player, you were not the only ones successful here. Some of your colleagues too. I know some players think WTA doesn’t have enough sympathy for you. Do you think the situation can improve a little after the results you get on the lawn?

– I don’t know. Everything has to be connected, for example how we play, what kind of help we get from WTA.

– Your rating has gone up…

Yes, but it shouldn’t be. There were four or five girls in the top 100, maybe six or seven girls in the top 200. I really don’t think it should depend on ordering.

As I have stated many times, we had to relocate our families. We pay a lot of money, we donate. We are always trying to help our country. Why would it depend on whether we have a higher rating or not?

If we have a higher rating, then it should be the opposite: we get paid slightly more. Yes, it shouldn’t actually depend on the rating.

– Did your grandmother or other members of your family watch your match in Ukraine? Can you tell us a little more about your foundation? People in Ukraine paid you to watch your match.

Yes, my family did. Many people in Ukraine watched. I am very glad that this actually happened in Ukraine because it took several years for this to happen for Ukrainians.

I think it is very important for children to watch tennis and other sports so that there is something new in their lives, so that they can dream and set goals. For example, I used to watch it when I was younger. My family bought broadcasts for these matches of the great champions, so I’ll try to get something from them, learn from them. I imagined myself competing in big stadiums.

So, yeah, I’m really happy that this can finally happen. We are working with my foundation to give this opportunity to Ukrainian children as well as Ukrainian children. That’s why I’m satisfied.

“As sad as you are right now, how happy will you be to come back and see Skye and your family?”

– I’m so happy. This will be the best moment.

– As far as I know, you played the semi-finals here in 2019. What was the difference between this semi-final and today?

– It was a completely different match. I am more satisfied with today’s game than the game I played that day. I’m happy that I took a small step today to play a little better than then.

I mean, Simona and Marketa showed really great and great tennis both times. So, yeah, there’s not much I can add.

– You obviously wanted to win for yourself, for Ukraine and for everyone who looks at you. How tiring and exhausting was it for you during these two weeks? Must be hard.

– Of course, this is a great motivation, but as you mentioned, it is a great responsibility, a great stress. I try to balance it as best I can.

But yes, it happens sometimes, maybe too much. But I don’t want to accept that I lost today as an excuse. I try to take that as a source of motivation for myself. I hope the Ukrainian people continue to support me. It was really great. And yes, I hope I get another chance,” Elina said.