AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2023

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/J. Ostapenko

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Through to the semifinals here. Just tell us how you're feeling and some quick thoughts on the match as well.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, super happy to be in the semifinals. Yeah, I played really well today, even with this rain delay and everything. I think that overall the match was very solid from me.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Compared to Wimbledon, you seem more relaxed now. You're smiling more. Can you just explain why you're perhaps happier in this slam? Is it because you are a slam champion? You're older, wiser? Why would you say you're more smiling and happy now?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I think of course I got all the experience at Wimbledon, and it's helping me now this time here in Australia and I know what to expect.

For sure it's just easier in this case after Wimbledon. Feeling good on the court and just really enjoying every match I'm playing here.

Q. You mentioned the rain delay. It came at an important moment in the match where you were going to have that breakpoint. How did you spend that time? How did you prepare yourself to be ready to pick it right back up when play resumed?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think I had this advantage. I was up 3-1, and it was, like you said, breakpoint, but I think in the end it was still a bit easier for me. I knew that she serves really well, and no matter what happens in this game, the next game I'm serving, so it was kind of an advantage.

The break was not so long. So in the end, I just stayed a bit in the gym, warmed up again, talked with the team, and went again on court.

Q. I wanted to ask you about your serve. Was it always the biggest shot in your game? Is it something that you developed a lot over the years? If so, how did it become the weapon it is today?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I would say that I always served big, but for sure when I started to work with my coach, we did a lot of changes on the technique. Like this, I gained even more power.

Yeah, it's my weapon on the court, and of course we are trying to work on it. Yeah, it's always a lot to improve.

Q. You had the most aces in this tournament. Also happened at Wimbledon. Do you think it's a weapon that's not as used in the women's game and should be?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Tough to say for me, because I think compared to other girls, I'm quite tall. I mean, there is other girls which are also strong and tall, but for sure I think it's not only about the height. It's very important to have good biomechanics technique, and everything like kind of together you can serve better.

I'm happy with my serve. I guess everybody else needs to think if, in this aspect, they need to work more or not, because some girls, they are fine maybe not with the speed but they have good angles on the serve. They are opening the court. I think everybody is different, and everybody just trying to do what's best for them on the court.

Q. Just from your own perspective, since you started to play for Kazakhstan, how much support you still get from Moscow, from Russian fans in general? Did this change anything, or do you think the support from Russian fans is still big, especially when you win on such big stages?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I think I get a lot of support around the world, but mostly I think that it's from Kazakhstan, for sure.

Tough to say for me, because the best support, let's say, I got -- not the best, but like first feeling where I really got a lot of support was at the Olympics when I played and there was no crowd there, but just receiving all the messages and everything.

So I think it's a little bit from everywhere, but mostly from Kazakhstan.

Q. At Wimbledon, you talked about it being easier with the experience here. The other thing at Wimbledon, you kept having to answer questions about citizenship and moving to Kazakhstan, being from Russia. Is it much easier here when that is not an issue?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, first of all, like I was saying there, I had tough period before Wimbledon in the sense I was very tired mentally. I played a lot of tournaments, so I was not at my best and I took a break. So it was kind of not really expected win at Wimbledon.

But here it's different because, first of all, I already did it once, and of course I got confident that I can do it again. I did really good preparation with the team. I'm not really surprised with the results. I'm happy. I'm just hungry to work and improve more.

I think at Wimbledon I answered all the questions, and there is nothing to say anymore.

Q. A recent documentary spoke to female players about their sponsorship opportunities and how it helped them throughout their career. Have you found throughout your career that you have had enough support?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I mean, I would say that of course I could get more support, but I think now at this stage of my career, it's kind of not the beginning but I still think that it's not the peak of my career, and I think that I still have a lot of years in front. I think everything is in the future, and we will just see how it's gonna be.

Q. You had to play first-round match on Court 13. Did that kind of frustrate you? Puts a fire in your belly as the most recent champion of Wimbledon?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Not really. As I said before, this time I was focused just to play match at a time and no matter on which court I'm gonna play. I was just really focused and I was trying to do my best on the court. It really didn't matter in that situation.

Q. Your opponent today seemed to be quite unhappy throughout the game with a lot of line calls, electronic line calls. Is that something that you noticed and was a distraction for you?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yes, of course I saw it. After, on the screen, you could see that the ball could barely touch the ball or something. I think it was happening kind of both ways.

Of course I saw Jelena wasn't happy. But I think both of us, we are very aggressive players, and me and her were trying kind of to push each other, like put pressure from the first ball. So I would say that it was kind of both ways.

Q. Into the semifinals, two matches away from the title. Given who is left in the tournament, does the title feel close? Does it feel far away? How does the path look to you?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Of course in the beginning of the tournament, it feels like, oh, it's such a long tournament, of course if you keep on winning. Now it seems already close. It's still I'm trying to focus just on one match.

For sure, I mean, it's close, that's why everybody I think now gonna try even harder, fight for every ball. Yeah, it's just only good players left. For sure it's gonna be tough matches.

Q. At the end of the match, you spoke about family and friends in your box. Can you tell us who was in your box?

ELENA RYBAKINA: So it was my team coaches, Stefan Vukov, fitness coach, physio. This time it's actually a lot of support. My family, parents, sister, friends and sponsors. So it was good support, yeah (smiling).

Q. Looking ahead, you might play obviously Jessica or Vika. Can you just talk about both of those matchups and if you consider them tough opponents?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, for sure, they are tough opponents for me. We know each other well. Was a tough match against Jessica in Guadalajara, but there it was also special conditions. And against Vika in Indian Wells.

Yeah, tough opponents, but like always, I will try to prepare, I will try to watch the matches, analyze, think about this, and for sure I'm gonna give my best on the court.