NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 13, 2026

Elena Rybakina

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/E. Rybakina

6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Elena, tough luck today. You showed tremendous fight throughout this tournament. Can you just reflect on this tournament, the whole thing, how far you've come here.

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I think overall the tournament was successful. Of course, today was a pity. I didn't have much energy. I tried my best, but it wasn't enough.

Anyway, I try to take only positive from this tournament for the next ones.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How much was the effect of the three-set matches and your hours on court consecutively leading into tonight?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Yeah, I think it was a big, how do you say? I mean, I was just very tired. You could see that I wasn't pushing with the legs enough. There was a lot of unforced errors, especially on top of the net. It was just pure lack of concentration. Even on those kind of easy balls, too.

So, yeah, of course, Iga, she's a tough opponent, and she was trying to get all the balls back, of course. So, yeah, it was difficult for me today, and, yeah, I just hope that I take all the lessons and somehow next time going to do better.

Q. How did you feel coming into Toronto this year after Wimbledon? Did you feel like a big result like this was something that was coming your way the way that your game and your practice was going?

ELENA RYBAKINA: I was not thinking too much how the tournament overall will go. I was just trying to bring everything we worked on for couple of weeks before coming here.

I think we did a good job, and slowly, match by match, I could see the results some improvement. I'm just happy the way it all went, despite the loss today.

Yeah, I think the importance right now is just to forget this tournament already, and try to prepare for the next one, and hopefully do the same and even better.

Q. Obviously the fatigue was a big factor, but it seemed like a couple of times during the match you were stretching out your arm. Was anything bothering you there?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, I'm not sure if I can tell you what is not hurting actually (smiling.) I feel kind of destroyed, of course, now. Especially when the tournament is finished, you feel kind of everything even more.

I think that this time I actually did better with the scheduling, because I was playing a lot of matches in the morning, during the day, then at night. I think that this also is a big difference, and this time compared to other tournaments I did a bit better. It was just very much a pity that I didn't have enough to push this last match even more.

Q. What made Iga a tough opponent tonight?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, she's playing really well in defense. She can take the opportunity during the rally and turn it around.

As I said, for me, I feel like it was more from my side that I wasn't playing aggressive enough. I was not with the energy enough to play against her. We all know she's a fighter, and she can run left and right much longer than me.

We have different style of the game, so I couldn't show my style at my best. I tried really until the end.

I think, yeah, just first set, starting with two double-faults, losing this game. Also, as I said in the previous press conference, you can't always be chasing, you need sometimes to actually start up during the matches. For now it's been always, for me, chasing.

This time I couldn't turn it around. I couldn't bring this extra energy.

Definitely I think Iga played her game. She was fresh and she played better in some important moments.

Q. The gap in the rankings between you and Aryna Sabalenka is really quite close right now. I know you've mentioned that you don't think about it much day-to-day, but when you were a kid, when you were growing up, did you dream of being the No. 1 player in the world, and what would that mean to you if you are able to get there?

ELENA RYBAKINA: Well, it would mean definitely a lot. I know for me, even if you say by the ranking it's close, for me it still feels very far. So I'm not thinking about it so much.

We all still compete, so it doesn't depend only on me, also how others are going to do.

But when I was young I was not even, if we talk about as a kid, I was not even thinking that I'm going to be professional playing at this level. I think I achieved quite a lot. I'm super happy. If I can do better, amazing, I try my best, and hopefully it happens one day.