ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2026

Elina Svitolina

Press Conference

E. SVITOLINA/A. Bondar

3-6, 6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Elina, a tough match out there today. How did you get through it, especially in that third set?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, it was definitely a tough one. I didn't expect any other kind of match. Had couple of big battles against Anna, of course two losses against her. But, yeah, today for me it was like just important to follow my game plan, to bring the best fight that I can.

Yeah, I'm just really happy the way that the match end up with the win for me. Yeah, tough battle and tiebreak.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. She gave you a hard time in Madrid. What is bothering you so much in her game?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I think it's difficult to pick one thing, because Madrid's altitude is very unique conditions. Also, you know, if you take my loss against her in New York also, it was like some issues in a way that it's difficult to say that one thing is something is bothering me.

But she just plays really well against me. I think if you take the matches itself, I think she just serves big, goes down the lines, cleans the lines, and just playing great tennis.

So, yeah, sometimes happens like this. I think when people have nothing to lose against you, and it is a bit, you know, they are going for it full, you have to just find a way to win.

Q. When you have lost two in a row to a player, what do you take from those losses? Do you try to shut them out? Can you explain a bit more about the mindset of someone who's -- I know it's not like 10-0 or anything like that, but how does that work?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, luckily it's not 10-0. Well, I really sit down with my coach and talk about things that I can improve for the upcoming match, the things that I did well. Still, you know, in Madrid it was really bad performance from my side. She played unbelievable.

Yeah, I think just find the, tactically, the things that's gonna work. I still beat her two times, so I could, you know, gave me the confidence I could beat her. I beat her here, as well. Yeah, it's just about the tactical things that we really focused on, and, you know, bringing the fight.

Because when players play great against you, you need to be locked in, still, you know, following your game plan and find ways to win.

I think I played still good tennis today, and yeah, she was sometimes playing great, like when in the third set it was 4-5, I think she won eight points in a row, I didn't do anything wrong in that moment, but she was just unbelievable. You have to put your head down and keep working and finding the small opportunities to dictate.

Q. Given the conditions and the difficulty of this opponent, where would you rate this among your toughest Grand Slam first-round matches you have managed to grind through?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, definitely top three. I don't remember that kind of tough, not only because I played against her, lost against her, but also, I think it was pretty hot and, yeah, was just, yeah, difficult conditions, difficult opponent.

Yeah, set down, I had to really bring that confidence from Rome to step up my game and keep fighting. In the end, I played some good tennis, second, third set, and I was really locked in.

Q. I wanted to ask you, yesterday Marta Kostyuk came in here and she spoke about the impact of missile strikes in Ukraine, and how obviously she had a very close encounter for her family. She spoke a little bit about how during the match it kind of kept popping into her mind and she had to find a way to focus. I wonder, for you, obviously over the years of the war, how much has that happened to you where during matches you're having to try and block that from your mind? Does it ever pop into your mind those kind of challenges and those very difficult things happening back home?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Yeah, for sure. Especially the nights like that, it was two days ago, it was massive attack on Kyiv and generally in Ukraine. I mean, we are kind of used to it, in a way, but of course in Marta's case, you know, when the missile is very close, landing really close to your home, to your parents, it is just terrifying.

You are thinking too much, of course. When there are other kind of situations happening like this, you know, of course you start to think about it, you start to think about just your life and, like, what are you doing, you know, here, in a way, because you could potentially, you know, lose your family.

So I think it's just, for all Ukrainians like that, in general, we have been dealing with that, just maybe not always talking about this, but it's extremely tough, and I think it's weighing on us for years and years now. Some nights are easier; some nights are more difficult. Yeah, I think she handled it amazingly.

Yeah, just really terrifying for us, and for all the players who the families are still back there, and I think just to speak for Ukrainian people, when you have massive attack like this, it was over 600 missiles landing in Ukraine, and you just, you just really down and really don't want to do anything. You just shut down.

Q. You have had an amazing career. You've had to deal with so much off the court, as well. Do you like the fact that a lot of people are considering you as a genuine possible champion at the end of the fortnight? Does that start to wear on your mind at this stage, or are you able to dismiss it or just focus on the next steps in what's likely to be a really long and hard fortnight?

ELINA SVITOLINA: I'm not thinking too much. I think people are talking too much about it. I think, yeah, I'm in good form, but I think there are still players who are more favorites than me, I think at least five players who are, you know, still bigger, they have bigger chances to win this tournament.

So I'm not thinking too much about this at all and just really focus on, personally I was really focused on the first round, because it was a really big challenge for me, and I was not sure I would be in the second round (smiling).

Yeah, just put the hard work in. As always, you know, focus on the recovery, focus on the game plan that I have to execute for my next round.

When you are playing well, when you are at the, you know, top of kind of like in the ranking, everybody is playing free against you. I think like the example of Anna or other players, they have nothing to lose, so they bring their best game.

When you get into this position, that's a dangerous position to be in. You need to be really even more kind of focused on the work that you have to do on the court to beat those players, because they are playing the matches of their lives.

Q. After the first set, it looked sometimes like physically it could be very difficult for you. Suddenly, you were born again. The second set was very impressive. What keeps you, like, with your strength so tough? Was it experience, the moment, or what factor? After so many weeks playing so good, and some months, what was the key that something made you really rise a lot?

ELINA SVITOLINA: Answering your first question, it's about the mental toughness. Of course is not always easy and smooth, and especially, you know, when you are not playing the way that you want. And conditions were really tough, really hot, and yeah, I was just trying to focus on my breathing, trying to focus on what I have to do on the court.

I think with a little bit of nerves, it's normal that sometimes, you know, you're not feeling at your best. Yeah, for me, it's all about the mental toughness and being really fighting for every single point, even if I'm breakpoint down, I think it was in the third set, really tough game in the second game that we played over 15 minutes.

I think only with, you know, just being strong and giving, like, all my energy into that game, really put me through and put me back on the track, because yeah, you know, had no right to give her the lead in the third.

So for me it's been years and years that I work to be mentally tough, mentally locked in, playing every single point as the last one. But of course, on the other hand, it takes a lot out of you, out of your body. Sometimes, yeah, you can, earlier can get burned out. For example, it happened to me in the end of last year where, in September, I couldn't anymore just push myself.

So that's why I'm still, you know, learning in a way that I could balance my mental toughness when I push myself. You know, in the matches like this, I really push myself and go through hell and walls in my head to be still aggressive on the court, to go for my shots, and to not play safe, because if you play safe, it's not the way that champions do. For me, it takes a lot of strength, the inner strength to do that.

So, you know, I'm trying to balance that, and I think this gives me, of course, good results, and good wins like today.

But yeah, I have to find also the ways where when I push myself to 100% that I also, you know, have the rest and the balance of the scheduling and, you know, just have myself a good rest before going into the hell again (smiling).