MUTUA MADRID OPEN

April 30, 2025

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/M. Uchijima

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Elina, congratulations, you're into the semifinals for the first time in Madrid. What do you think was the key this time?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, just very happy with my performance so far here in Madrid. Yeah, just very happy I could be, stay composed from the beginning of the tournament. And yeah, finally playing here well. It was always I wanted to do well here, because I enjoy the courts, I enjoy the tournament, so, yeah, really happy with reaching the semifinals.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Before the clay season started did you have hopes or an idea that this is how it would go for you, or were you putting in specific work that you feel is working, or did this take you a little bit by surprise?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, of course when you work hard you want to play well, you want the work to work on the match court. But, yeah, I had no expectations, to be fair, just try to work hard on my fitness, to be ready for long rallies, because I knew that it takes a lot out of the legs.

My main goal was actually not to get injured, because, yeah, with a lot of sliding it can be not easy for the legs and for the muscles around the area. So, yeah, for sure it was my goal to actually just get stronger.

And then I know that I can play well on clay. I feel like with the Rome titles and the Strasbourg as well, with a good level that I showed previously, I always believed that I could do it.

Q. In French we have a saying that is, Aging like fine wine, the older you get the better you get, for some people, lucky people. Do you feel like later in your career you found answers that you didn't have when you started?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, this saying I heard a lot, especially towards Gael, (laughing). But, yeah, I mean, I have the experience from previous years, and with different kind of match, different kind of start of clay court season. So of course, you know, I have that experience, so I try to use it, I try to really find a way that works for me. Every year is different anyway, but still you have little bit of understanding and knowing what to expect, yeah.

Q. Talking about experience, you won four matches here, it's more than the nine previous times you came to Madrid. What was difficult for you here, and what did you find this year what helped you here?

ELINA SVITOLINA: To be fair, I never knew why I couldn't play well here, because I was feeling good, and I had had some really tough matches against tough opponents. I remember I played against Suárez Navarro here, obviously the crowd was really big and behind her, but it was a great match. Unfortunately, I lost in three tight sets, but I remember that match, it was a good level. Also other matches I had here were really tough.

Yeah, I cannot say that I played badly here. Of course, maybe there was one or two matches, but always felt that I could find my rhythm, I could play well here. And, yeah, for me right now I found my game. I feel like also the week before, winning the title gave me confidence in my game.

Yeah, I was really working hard to find, you know, not only winning matches somehow, but also to dominate on the court. That's, for me, it's working right now, and I'm happy that I'm staying composed so far.

Q. You rehired Andy Bettles end of last year or fall of last year. Just wondering, we're seeing it also with Maria Sakkari, she reunited with Tom, it seems that there could be a level of comfort returning to someone who knows you well. Can you talk a little bit about that decision, how you feel it's panning out, and is it difficult sometimes to go back to someone who you split with, or was it a very easy thing to do?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Well, in my case, well, I worked with Andy for I think five years or something like that, so of course we have a lot of great memories, a lot of tough moments as well that we went through together.

To be fair, when we stopped it was nothing really, like we didn't had any argument, it just was, wanted to try something different. So at that stage of my career, why not. I mean, of course you want to find something, maybe a little inspiration as well. Sometimes with the routine you get little bit tired, and, yeah, it can be different things.

So, for me after, well, it was three years later, you know, when I stop with Raemon, I was looking for someone, of course, that I know little bit. And, yeah, as I found out that Andy also was stopping with Jil, the timing was just perfect. Because in the middle of the season it's not easy to switch the coach, so everything just fall in place at that time.

Yeah, very happy. We are as never been apart with him. Yeah, I feel like we have our routine, and we see things the same way, the things that I have to improve and things that we want to work on, so, yeah, I'm happy.

Q. You were speaking about dominating the game here. You won 22 sets in a row, you are back in top-15 next week. Do you think you're playing your best tennis for a while and what's next?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Keep winning (smiling) that's what I'm hoping for. But also, you know, I try to really be realistic. I know that I can play really well, but still a lot of work ahead of me. I have a tough challenge in the semifinal.

I try to not focus too much on the numbers because sometimes they can be disturbing, but of course, you know, everyone and every like conversation is mentioning that. But, yeah, just for me important to find again my game every time I step on the court for every match. Yeah, so far everything been working well, I could move well, I could focus, refocus on some tough moments. So, yeah, I'm happy so far and of course, you know, this, I take it as a confidence, you know, I draw the confidence from all that statistics that I have.

Q. We have spoken in the past about how you're helping the Billie Jean King Cup team, I assume this is still going on, are you still taking part of the financial side and the management side and things like that?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it's like for five years that we have the agreement, yeah.

Q. So now that, I would say, a year past, or I don't know, you tell me, do you feel that you're achieving the goals that you hoped to achieve with the team, what kind of progress are you seeing, and what does it mean to you?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Of course, yeah, it's of course a lot of pressure to have to take care of the national team. But I try to really have a good team around me, the foundation team, and also the team that we have right now, the captain, the coach, the manager, it's all the people that are really taking care of the team. Because obviously me, I'm still playing, and they would not be, it would be like clash of interest for me to be really taking care of everything.

Of course I'm proud of the effort that we put to qualify for the finals in September in China. Yeah, it's a good effort that we did. And, yeah, from the foundation team that they are doing a lot for us to feel comfortable, because it's not easy. It's not easy when you are hosting matches, when you have to do a lot of little stuff that takes a lot of time. I'm really proud of the team that, yeah, we all came together for the result to be in the finals.

Q. We don't know who you're playing next, but there could be a possibility of an all-Ukrainian semifinal. You're actually the first Ukrainian to make it to the semis here. What would it mean for you to face Marta, and if it's not Marta, can you just talk about facing Aryna and her form in these conditions?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, for sure if it would be Marta it would be amazing clash of Ukrainians in the semifinal, we will know for sure that there will be another Ukrainian playing in the final.

And, yeah, played with Aryna a couple of times last year, had some tough battles. Also losing from the two match points in Rome, that was a big fight out there on the court. So, yeah, it's going to be a big challenge, doesn't matter either of the player that I will be facing tomorrow. But, yeah, for me I'll have to just refocus, try, I try to really relax right now, recover, enjoy the win today, and then tomorrow is a new day, I will talk with Andy about the tactics and, yeah, go again.