July 23, 2025
Washington D.C.
Quick Quotes
E. RYBAKINA/V. Mboko
6-3, 7-5
Q. Congratulations on winning your first match here. How does it feel to get started on hard courts?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, it's nice to play on hard courts. It was tough match today. Also first match I played and I didn't even practice when it's evening, like night session. So, yeah, happy with the win and looking forward for the next one.
Q. There is a chance you might play Venus in the next round. Wondering if you grew up watching her play. Do you have any thoughts about...
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, for sure I grew up watching Venus and Serena. Yeah, it's going to be nice opportunity for me to play against her. I played once against Serena, and it will be nice to play against her too.
Q. Mixed doubles, you're on the entry list for US Open with Taylor Fritz? He told me about getting excited, after playing at Indian Wells, wanting to make sure he had you locked up for New York, how you played there. What do you think about Taylor and also your chances of success in New York with him?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I think we played both really well in Indian Wells, and it was a lot of fun. I think these kind of matches is nice, especially before US Open.
I saw that the list is very strong. So we'll try our best. Definitely it's going to be a lot of fun.
He has great game, huge shots and serve. I also can serve well, so hopefully, yeah, it's going to work out. Yeah, we see how it goes.
Q. Taylor is very known for being very positive and very confident a lot of times. Do you sense that when you're on court with him? What's that like for you as a partner to have someone who has a lot of belief. I know Coco was saying in United Cup she felt it too. It rubbed off on her.
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, for sure. He was very positive when we played. He knows also the players, so he even tries to give some advice. Yeah, it's a lot of fun, and hopefully, yeah, we can go farther.
Q. On the entry list, you said it looks like a strong list. Which other teams jump out to you when you look at the list?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I mean, everyone is very strong. I saw Aryna is playing with Grigor. Alcaraz is playing. Sinner. I don't know how it's going to be exactly, because for now it's 25, I think, players. But who's gonna be in the 16, but yeah, definitely I think each player is very difficult.
Q. Are there any of the men you're most looking forward to playing? Kind of a unique chance to play some of the top guys.
ELENA RYBAKINA: I mean, depends, because, I mean, I think Sinner, Alcaraz definitely, like, to see how they hit and just feel how the ball is coming. But it's not easy with each player there.
Q. I notice a little bit of tape on your legs. How's your body feeling after switching multiple surfaces? How would you say your body is holding up into this stretch of the hard-court season? How are you feeling?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I always have some issue with foot. It's just sometimes it's worse; sometimes it's better. Of course with a change of surface, it's not easy. We trying to work on that.
But yeah, we see how I feel tomorrow, but definitely this is something I need to take care of more. For now, today I felt okay on the match. Hopefully it's going to go just better.
Q. You're generally someone who likes to go out and about in the city and go out and visit places. Do you like D.C.? What have you seen outside of the tennis?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I walked just a little bit around the hotel, I would say. Not much I got to see, because also I was fighting with jet lag the first days when I arrived.
So hopefully I can do a little bit more this week. Maybe even tomorrow. So we'll see.
But I think the city is very nice. Yeah, I need just to explore a little bit more.
Q. Emma Raducanu, playing doubles with her this week, what's it been like? She hasn't played much doubles at all. What's it like getting to know her as a person also?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I think she's really nice girl. It was a lot of fun. Of course tough match, but I'm happy that I played doubles, and I think it's good as a practice, preparation for singles.
So it was fun, and yeah, hopefully we can play a bit more in the future too.
Q. Did you guys have a cool team nickname, you guys? ER Squared?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I saw that. I think it's cool, yeah.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports


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