US OPEN

August 26, 2022

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on this year's US Open?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Looking forward for this great tournament, and and hopefully I can do it as well as Wimbledon.

Q. Doesn't it feel like yesterday you were out there on the courts qualifying for the main draw here?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, yes. If you think about the time, yeah, it's like this. But the same time so many things happen. I don't feel that it was yesterday.

So, yeah.

Q. Iga was in here a few moments ago talking about the balls that are used here, that they're different to what the men use. She wasn't a huge fan of them. What do you think of the balls that are being used here?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I think there is, not to offend anyone, but I think there is much more going on to talk about and more things to improve, like, in the tour, if we talk about this.

Balls is something, yes, we should talk about, but this is not the main topic. My opinion.

Q. It's been a whirlwind month and a half for you. How have changed for you day to day and at home?

ELENA RYBAKINA: As I was saying, so many things going on, happening. Of course, everything was new for me after Wimbledon.

Now, looking back for these few weeks, I played already tournaments, I would say it was great achievement for me. I'm super proud of my team, of course. Experience-wise I would say it was not the greatest.

I think this is the problem of the structure of the tour. Honestly, a bit weak leadership because we have so many things going on. It was my dream to win Wimbledon. It's pity. I feel like actually I'm not the Wimbledon champion.

It takes time to realize, but when you're going from tournament to tournament, this is how you feel in the end of the day.

Q. What exactly makes you feel not like a Wimbledon champion? Is it the calendar? The points?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, of course, it's everything around. It's points situation. I don't think that it's fair. Of course, we cannot change it. It was a decision before, no one saying about this.

Knowing that as of today I will be No. 2 on the Race and I'm not able to play the Race, I don't think it's fair. I'm talking not only about myself, but just generally I think with all the decisions, many players are paying for all these decisions.

You can be No. 1, and everything is great, but in the end of the day you're just forgetting where you're coming from and how tough it is actually to get to where you are.

Since I didn't get this feeling to be No. 2 or actually achieve, because it's still different treatment when you are top 10 or top 20. Even with the win of Wimbledon, it's kind of different feeling.

It's not the same as to be No. 5 or 4. Same I would say if you go to play tournament. Me, as a Wimbledon champion, have to feel like, yes, now attention is on me, and I'm playing good. It was good. For example, in one tournament I go and play against the greatest champion, Muguruza, and we play on Court No. 4. This is kind of like question for me.

I don't think that this is fair. Yeah, just my opinion.

Q. What would you like to see the tour do? There are players who also didn't get points from Wimbledon who had to qualify here. What would you like to see the tour do? Do you think they should be able to do something retroactively for players like yourself and these other players?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, that's what I just said, actually. For all these decisions, players are paying. That's what I'm trying to say. I'm not surprised, and this is how I feel also, I'm not surprised that in the end of the day we had many examples when player is actually young and they did amazing results, but in the end decides to quit tennis. So this is question. Like, why is it happening?

I think that something should be improved. This is something we have to talk more. I mean, it's just something I think should be brought up and something should be improved. That's it.

Q. I heard your coach now has your name tattooed on himself somewhere?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes (smiling).

Q. How did that happen? Are you pleased with how it turned out?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I was shocked in the end that he did it. It's huge respect to him because we had this bet. Anybody could say, Okay, I will not do it because it's too much, something like this.

In the end it started when I was 200. Not finish, but to get this achievement at Wimbledon, I think it's just amazing, amazing work what we did. I'm going to remember this day for sure until the end of my life. Same for him.

It's huge respect that in the end he did this tattoo. For me it's still crazy because I have no tattoo. I'm like, Wow.

Q. All the stuff you were telling us that is on your mind, how you're feeling, how do you feel on the court? Does it affect your tennis? What is your team telling you to try to keep you on track?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I mean, it's not nice feeling I would say because in end of the day you still kind of see things what happening around. You cannot just say, Whatever.

Of course, it's not nice. But in the end I know the goal is to win. For me, it's something I'm really trying to focus. It gives more motivation in the end of the day, keep on winning, keep on trying to do good results. We just see how far can I go here and how it's going to be in the next seasons.

For sure it's a motivation. It's something I just want to achieve. Same as at Wimbledon, to go and do good at all the tournaments.

Q. We're trying to get a sense of Serena's first-round opponent. I don't believe you've played her. Have you practiced with her? Do you have any kind of opinion of her as a player and what she might be bringing to the first round?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Against who she plays? I was not even checking the draw.

Q. (No microphone.)

ELENA RYBAKINA: I didn't know. Of course, she's a legend of our sport. I was actually lucky to play her at French Open.

It was amazing experience for me. But everybody gets to new chapter of their life. If we talk about Serena, of course, she's legend and someone who brought a lot to our sport.

Q. What was the exact bet you had with the coach?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, it was few years ago in Doha. We played tournament there. We were just laughing, joking. Me and my sister also there at dinner. At some point he said, Okay, when you win Wimbledon, or any other Grand Slam, I will make a tattoo.

We were joking, joking. We said, No, but you're really going to do it?

He said, Yes.

We actually record it. I have this video on Instagram.

At the end it happened, so he had to do the tattoo.