ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2025

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/E. Rybakina

1-6, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Elena, obviously a very close match today. Just talk us through your thoughts and reaction to the match today.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, definitely not the result I wanted, but was close match, tough match, and I just tried to take positive things throughout the whole tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I would like to ask you, could you find any key moments in this match?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, definitely was a moment in the second set when I hit the volley on top of the net and I lost it, so it did turn around. She stepped in. She started to play more aggressive, and I was down already.

Also physically I started with very good intensity. I was aggressive. So in the second set it was quickly she went up, so it was tough to come back, and just generally I was not pushing well on the legs with the serve, so it was a bit tough too.

Q. How would you consider Iga Swiatek form now for the rest of Roland Garros? Because when she came here as No. 5, in our country she wasn't considered, like, the biggest favorite to win. Do you think this match could change it?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think these tough matches definitely gives you more confidence, and especially when you get further in the draw. So I think she has all the chances like everybody else.

She played well in some moments, key moments. She has great intensity. I think she has all the chances.

Q. Tough luck today. You mentioned about physically it may be getting a little bit tougher. Wondered if you thought there was any reason for that? Is that just not having played a number of matches recently?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I think because of course Iga is making you play on your highest level, and of course she's always pushing you, so I knew that when I came out on the court no matter the first set -- first ever all, I was playing very aggressive, and I was using a lot of energy on the serve and on these first balls, so I knew that I might have a drop, and also, she get used to the speed of my ball.

So after, it was just getting tighter and tighter. I think at some moments my serve didn't help me much. And then her intensity was better.

Again, I had all the opportunities, even when, in this third set it was 4-All, I was down on my serve, and then it turned around so I was up 5-4, so again, I had chances. I didn't maybe risk it where I had to, and played a little bit passive in some important moments.

Q. Iga, after the match, on the court said that she felt like she was playing against Jannik Sinner in the first set. Did you also feel that, that your level of play was so high in the first set?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, definitely. As I say, I was playing really high level. Everything was going in, and I think it was not long rallies. I was just going for each shot, so I'm happy that I know I have this level. It's just another question of consistency and trying to stay at this level a little bit longer than the first set, one set.

So as I said, I will try to take only positive, and I think overall it's a good tournament for me.

Q. At the previous press conference, you talked about how conditions could be different, depending on, like, weather, sunny or clouded. Maybe today at the beginning it's quite sunny and then getting more like kind of cloudy. Do you think it affects any play or can you talk a little bit about that?

ELENA RYBAKINA: No, I think today it was not such a big difference, first set or second set. It was a little bit colder, but again, couple degrees than the previous days.

When it's really sunny and it's very hot, the ball is flying a lot. This time I felt that I could attack and a lot of balls were going in. So I think the conditions throughout the whole match were, like, more or less the same.

Q. Iga has had so much success here, won the last three years in a row. I wonder if the occasion of playing someone who has been so good here, it all makes the nerves increase when you're off to such a good start and you realize you're close to doing a really big result here potentially?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Not really. I was not thinking about any of that. I know that she's a fighter and that my level was really high first set, and I knew that continue like that is not going to be easy.

I was really dominating from very beginning. So to step in and play the same, I mean, it is possible, but again, it's also very risky. Then the moment changed a little bit. But of course on the match, I don't think of any of the potential results and so on.