AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 30, 2026

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

E. RYBAKINA/J. Pegula

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Elena, congratulations. Into another Australian Open final. Just talk us through how pleased you are with your performance over these last couple of weeks.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, really happy with the win today. In the second set it was a very tough one, but I'm happy it went my way. Yeah, I think I improved throughout the whole tournament.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You made your first and your second major finals pretty close together, Wimbledon and then here. It's been three years since the last one. How good does it feel to get one, and how impatient were you about making a third major final?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, definitely very happy to be in the final again, and I was close other years, seasons, when I played semis in the other slams, but, yeah, now I'm closer, which is great. It's just one step to go (smiling).

Q. So much of your success over the last six months, how much do you credit having Stefano being part of the team now?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I think it's a big help, because of course he knows me the best. With his advices on the court during the matches, it definitely makes a difference.

Same as my other team members. I think it's really important I'm working with same physio for a long time. Fitness coach now, we have been working for a bit also. Astas (phonetic), another coach who knows me quite a lot and really helping me out.

So yeah, definitely team is really important and Stefano to win all these results.

Q. You have an amazing ability to not give too much away of your emotions. How stressed were you feeling after those match points and then you weren't able to serve out and it went into a tiebreak?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I was very nervous, frustrated when it was not going my way. I was leading 5-3, and then it went -- 5-3, I think, yea. It went so close.

And I think Jessica, she also stepped in. She started to return a bit better and putting some pressure, some long rallies.

Yeah, I was just thinking to play point at a time and try to fight as much as possible. Again, I'm just happy that it went my way.

Q. I would like to congratulate on a following fact, and if you can please make a comment. One fact is coming from 2008 Wimbledon when the Sisters Williams last time were the ones who didn't drop a set before the finals. Now you and your future opponent, Sabalenka, are the ones. The other one is even older. From '99 to 2000 when two players played the last WTA Finals and then start the finals of Australian Open. If I remember what I read, those were Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Okay.

Q. I'd like to hear from you, how you feel about the achievements.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, it's nice statistic, for sure. I think for me it's important that I started this tournament maybe not at my best form, but throughout the tournament it improved, and I played better each match.

For me, it's also little success that I didn't drop a set. So I think, yeah, we did a great job with the team that actually, let's say, not maybe my best, but almost the best form, it happened here in Australia at the Grand Slam, and I'm playing the final.

Q. How much confidence that win at the WTA Finals gives you to play in another final against her on Saturday?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, of course, the WTA Finals gave a lot of confidence, because you played against top players. I maintained my level. I played tough matches, very close matches. I won all of them.

Of course it's different conditions comparing to the other tournaments, but I think I could take only positive from that week. This what I'm trying to do this season, remembering some good stuff from this WTA Final and just bring it to this season.

Q. Obviously you played Aryna in this final, and she came back a few years ago. How do you reflect on that? How have you grown, changed, developed as a player that makes you feel like this time you can turn the tables and win?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, last match we played here, it was very close. I think I throughout the match of course I had some little opportunities, but in the end of this third set, I think Aryna stepped in. She served much better. Yeah, she deserved that win.

So of course many years passed, a lot of matches has been played. Hopefully with all the experience which I got from this last match, last time final I played here, I can bring it to Saturday match and do my best, focus on my serve, of course.

Since we are both very aggressive players, serve is important. Yeah, fight till the end, and hopefully this time it's gonna go my way.

Q. Is this the most confident you have ever felt in matches against top-10, quality opponents that something can go wrong in a match, like maybe your serve, to know you can still get yourself into a winning position?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, serve, quite often might not work as much as I want, and you need to be ready to win with other aspects of your game.

I think now I'm just trying to stay more calm in these situations, trying to think, adjust during the match. For now, it's been working.

So, yeah, hopefully the serve is going to help me on Saturday, but even if it's not, I'm going to still try to find my way.