THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 27, 2022

Lesia Tsurenko

Press Conference

L. TSURENKO/J. Burrage

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: What are your thoughts on today's game?

LESIA TSURENKO: Today was I think a good quality match from me. I did not do many mistakes. I was able to receive a lot of serves, which was I think putting extra pressure on her. In general, it was a good quality match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Obviously after Wimbledon banned the Russian and Belarusian players, you from Ukraine, how proud are you that you're the first Ukrainian to win in this tournament so far?

LESIA TSURENKO: I was not thinking about it, honestly, in this way. But for me definitely it's less tension.

I feel good being at the tournament without having to see players from that countries again. In most of the cases it's nothing personal. It's just the situation that our countries are in a war now. So, yeah, for me it's definitely less tension and I feel better.

Q. How do you feel about the reaction to -- obviously the WTA and ATP have stopped ranking points -- a lot of players have spoken out against the ban. How have you reacted to the reaction?

LESIA TSURENKO: I was not really happy with that decision. I actually checked the ranking today and I saw that some players just losing points and losing positions in the ranking. But again, it's the same for everyone. But me personally, I'm not really happy with this decision.

And I think that the sanctions and all the sportsmens that getting banned from sport from Russian and Belarusia, there is a big reason for that, for all the sanctions and for all the decisions like that. Of course I think that those decisions are right and the sanctions are right.

Q. You mentioned there has been tension. Can you sort of explain how it's been when you see a Russian player or a Belarusian in the dressing room?

LESIA TSURENKO: I don't feel good seeing them because, as I have said before, it's again, it's about me personally. I don't know about other Ukrainian players, but I just heard from one Belarusian player that she's, like, she's supporting us, me, and Ukraine, and she's against the war.

I haven't heard from anyone else that they are against the war. So I don't know their opinion about that, and not speaking to me and not saying to me anything makes me feel bad and creating this tension inside of me.

Q. How did you feel for the fan reaction today when you were out on court? Were they supporting you more than maybe they were at the French? How was it to you?

LESIA TSURENKO: Since the beginning of the war, and it was in Indian Wells, I feel that people are supporting much more. Of course I see that a lot of people, they kind of know where is Ukraine. They know what is going on there. They want to show their support compared to a year ago when, if you say that you're from Ukraine, most of the people in the world, they are, like, Where is it?

Now everyone know. Unfortunately it's because of the war, not because of something else more positive, let's say. But it is the way it is.

And, yes, I'm getting a lot of support around the world, for sure.

Q. Is it giving you a boost when you are out there? Do you feel you are playing better because of it?

LESIA TSURENKO: I feel that I play better, just because for me emotionally -- for me emotionally winning or losing doesn't exist anymore. For me, there is a big issue in my life: it's war. And there is nothing else that can beat this.

Q. I just wondered, how have the last few days been preparing for this match, given the attacks that have been started again in Kyiv, which is where you're from?

LESIA TSURENKO: I don't feel good. I feel really worried, especially because I know that they are trying to get the one object, which is 100 meters away from my home, from the building where I live.

So every time is like my area, my area of the city where I live get bombed, so every time I'm like -- I feel, yeah, I think when the war started, I start to feel this tension inside of me, and I think even if I work every day with psychologist and I try to, I don't know, anyway, try to avoid this emotions, it's impossible.

And I think this feeling, this tension will only be released when the war will finish. There is nothing I can do about it.

Q. Do you still have friends and family in that area of Kyiv? Do you speak to them every day making sure they are okay?

LESIA TSURENKO: Yes. My mom is on the south of Ukraine, and my sister now she's in Italy in a place where I base now.

So she's there, and she's really happy for her that she can just enjoy life a little bit more because she spend all three months of war in Ukraine. So emotionally it was really tough to her. She still feels really guilty that she left Ukraine, but I'm happy for her.

My mom is just promising me to come to Italy one day, but I don't believe her, but I'm still hoping that she will come to my place and I will get chance to see her.

For me, the toughest part now is that a lot of people that I know that they are on the front line now. One guy been taken by Russians, so we don't know what is going on with him. We know that he's alive. Two more guys are fighting there at the moment, and a few people dead already because of the war, yeah.

Q. As the way the draw has come out, you will be facing Anhelina next.

LESIA TSURENKO: Yep.

Q. You mentioned what it was like with Russian and Belarusian fellow players. What's it like with your fellow Ukranian players? I'm guessing you know her pretty well. What you have been talking about, winning or losing doesn't seem to matter as much anymore. Do you think she has similar kind of feelings? How do you talk about this situation?

LESIA TSURENKO: For sure everyone, every player has own emotions, and I know that Anhelina's parents' house, building is destroyed, so yeah, definitely she doesn't feel good.

I'm really happy to see that we are managing and we can play, because I didn't know at the beginning in Indian Wells, in Miami, I was not sure if I will be able to play, if my teammates will be able to play.

But seems like we are managing. But me personally, it cost a lot. As I said, I'm working with psychologist. I'm just trying to think -- I don't know. I try to separate my tennis life and what's going on in my home.

For Anhelina, I know her for many years. I never played each other, I think. So it will be our first meeting on this specific surface, so we will see.

Q. Tennis, with what's going on, it seems irrelevant in a big way, but the fact that you two are playing each other, the spotlight can be brought back to Ukraine in I'm trying to think of a positive way. But I'm sure there will be a show of solidarity between the two players?

LESIA TSURENKO: Of course. We are all helping each other in any way that we can, but this is the feeling that all the Ukrainians are getting.

I also spoke a lot to my sister, and she told me that probably if you just go in the street and you just speak to random person, saying, I need help, he's gonna help you. It's just the feeling that how united we feel now, all the Ukrainians.

So I think it's great that two of us are meeting in the second round, and so it will be one Ukrainian in the third round, for sure. I think it's just good in any way.

Q. Will you speak to her before about maybe a joint show of solidarity or support?

LESIA TSURENKO: Can we wear the ribbon on the match?

THE MODERATOR: I don't know. I will check for you.

LESIA TSURENKO: Yeah, because today I was not sure. I don't know with the Wimbledon rules if we can wear the ribbon.

Q. Blue and yellow? Yeah?

LESIA TSURENKO: We can?

Q. I'm not sure.

LESIA TSURENKO: I need to ask that. I don't know. But what do you mean? What can we do?

Q. I don't know. A photo or...

LESIA TSURENKO: We are united anyway. We are united, so I don't know. Just extra photo. I don't know.

Q. That next match, what do you hope to do for the morale of your people by appearing on the court together?

LESIA TSURENKO: I think with all the sportsmen that are able to take part in the competitions. Also with all the singers that go to Poland, to Germany, and having all the concerts, I think it's just a part of, that part when Ukrainians can just go and to remind the whole world that we are here, we still have war and we need your help.

This is the main thing that I would wish to happen, that we get a lot of heavy weapon. You know, it's just that we should remind with the fact that we are here and we are playing for my country, for Ukraine. We just want to remind that Ukraine is in trouble and we need help.

I think as many appearances we have, like in sport, for example, for me, it's just another way to show that we are strong nation and to remind the world that we are still here and we still have war and, I don't know, in some way we need help. We still need help to win this war.