ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 7, 2022

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/S. Rogers

3-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Shelby started really strong. Take us through how you came back in the match to win.

ELENA RYBAKINA: I just started well the first set. It was many ups and downs. I was rushing a lot. I just tried to focus on every point, rally a bit more. It worked out.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In terms of being able to turn the match around, you said it was important for you to start rallying and make more balls. What in particular were you pleased about today being able to turn the match around?

ELENA RYBAKINA: My serve. I think it helped a lot today. I was returning also well. It's just during, like, the point to rally a bit more, it was not easy because I didn't feel the ball that good in the beginning. It was also colder today so the balls, they were heavier. It was more difficult to move them.

Yeah, I'm just happy because my serve helped a lot. Then, yeah, just find my rhythm.

Q. Through your matches this week in Adelaide, what are you most pleased about in terms of how you've been able to play, make the semifinals, a good result to start the season?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I'm happy more that maybe I'm not playing my best now, but I'm still able to win the matches. I played two matches already three sets, not easy ones.

Yeah, I'm just happy I'm moving more in the draw and I'm playing more matches. In the end I think it's going to help me to feel more confidence.

Q. The last few months since the end of last season, did you get a lot of time off? Did you feel like you went into your pre-season well-rested or did it come too fast?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I didn't play for three weeks. Off-season for me was not like I went somewhere on the beach. It was actually a lot of stuff to do. I had some health problems so I had to fix that. Then also during the season now with the COVID, you cannot really move around in Europe a lot. I was doing all of this during my off-season. Like for three weeks I was actually traveling a lot. Only one week I spent at home. So I was super tired. I actually was just at home not doing anything special.

After, yeah, we started pre-season.

Q. Where did you do your pre-season?

ELENA RYBAKINA: We did first week in Slovakia, then four weeks in Dubai.

Q. What was the focus for you and Stefano for that pre-season period of time?

ELENA RYBAKINA: First it was of course fitness because, as I said, I had some foot problems, so we had to fix all of this. I'm just happy that actually we did pre-season how we planned, without any changes.

Yeah, it was focusing more on fitness because in end of the season I was also sick in some like medicine. I lost muscles. I lost weight. Yeah, to build this again. First maybe two, three weeks was focused on fitness, then was already tennis part and some technical improvement.

Q. Do you feel 100% physically, health-wise?

ELENA RYBAKINA: For now yes. We see how it goes. I can say that everything perfect, everything is like 100%. I feel much better than, of course, end of last season.

Q. What would make you happy this year? What would be a successful season for you?

ELENA RYBAKINA: To win some big events. I mean, to move with my ranking, to be top 10. Of course, the goal is to be top 10, but if I can do better, it's perfect.

Q. The last few seasons you've had good starts to the season. What is it about the start of the season that brings out your best tennis? Sometimes people are insecure or unsure.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Like last two, three years, it's difficult to analyze because it was corona, this lockdown. I started well in Abu Dhabi, but I'm more fresh. Physically I'm also fresh, more prepared.

Yeah, just last season was really difficult with the scheduling and health-wise. I didn't play actually so many tournaments. I skipped some big tournaments like Rome and Stuttgart.

Yeah, for me it's just more important to be healthy and then to work physically and then everything goes well.

Q. Looking ahead to play Kaja Juvan or Misaki Doi, what do you anticipate in that match?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I know them both well. Against Doi, I think we played maybe three years ago on clay. I lost. I'm just going to focus on my game, to play aggressive, and we see. We talk with my coach also about the opponent.

More or less it's, again, just focus on every point, not to give free mistakes, just serve good.