00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de cinquante ans.
00:18Hello Elina, 3 match points saves, how did you manage to save them all?
00:23Well, I try to really stick to my game plan, try to stay in the match, keep fighting, keep doing aggressive things on the court and try to find my opportunities to get back in the match.
00:45Jasmine played really well in the first set, second set as well, and we were really close, the match was really close in the second, so yeah, I knew that I had to try to give myself a chance to come back into the match and just leave all there.
01:02Yeah, if I would lose, if I would lose in two sets, you know, all credits to her, but yeah, I tried to fight and very happy I did that and got rewarded.
01:17Elina, you've had such tremendous success in coming back from having a baby, semifinals, quarterfinals, what do you think you need to do to get into the final to win that major, what's the extra ingredient you're going to need now?
01:28Well, I feel like it's a process, you know, I feel I had a great two years now, being back on tour, the first year, in a few months I got back into top 20, then you know, I had the injury, which didn't allow me to finish the season, then last September had surgery,
01:57so you know, a mixture of different things, then allowed me to play full season, even like in September last year, still missed the Asian swing.
02:08So yeah, now after the surgery, after you know, playing well in Australia, and now on clay courts, I feel good, I feel like I'm back with my game.
02:21And yeah, just now I have to work hard to give myself a chance to earn these opportunities to go one step further.
02:31We don't know who you're playing next, it's going to be a heavyweight name, regardless. You won't start as the favourite, but do you think if you can get through that, that will be the catalyst for the run at the French Open?
02:42And just talk about your next opponent, whoever it could be, Elena or Iga.
02:47Well, I wouldn't say that it will be a turning point, because obviously, you know, there's still full draw of big names, and everyone is playing well.
02:58And yeah, I have to take one match at a time, as I did previously. Played with Elena, played with Iga multiple times, so I know what to expect. Different game styles.
03:12So we'll see who wins. Tomorrow is the day to work on a few things tactical, that I'll have to do on Tuesday. But yeah, for me, it's firstly important to recover physically, because today was a tough match that, you know, I have to focus on the recovery.
03:36And then, yeah, tomorrow is the day to work on my game.
03:39Elena, hello. How do you feel playing here in France, considering you have a French family? And wondering if you feel like a local when you are out there in the court?
03:55I feel very good. You know, for so many years, I loved and still loving to play here in France.
04:02I won a couple of tournaments in Strasbourg, in Rouen, played here a couple of quarterfinals as well. And the support is amazing. And, you know, they pushed me to play better.
04:18And, like, matches today, for example, you know, when I was set down, 1-4 down, really pushed me to come back, to keep fighting. And this is a great feeling, you know, to have when the crowd is giving you this extra energy.
04:37And I know when you've reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne this year, you told the crowd that your fighting spirit is completely Ukrainian spirit.
04:47There's plenty of that out there today. I'm just wondering what small moments like this, just how important are they to keep bringing some small light to people back home?
04:55Yeah, definitely very, very important for me personally. And the last few months been really, really tough for Ukrainian people. And the last few weeks been awful as well.
05:09Yeah, it's something that all Ukrainians that we live on a daily basis with, with bad news. So, you know, when I'm on the court, I'm fully focused on my job, on my tennis, and try to get these wins, try to keep Ukrainian flag flying for my country.
05:35And that's what motivates me to keep pushing, to keep winning, to keep, you know, playing tennis in general. So, yeah, this is what I have on a daily basis.
05:51But, yeah, it's heavy, but in the same way, it's a huge motivation for me.
05:57Hi, Elina. Congrats. Is one of the most important wins in your life, today win?
06:04I wouldn't say so, because I had many wins in different stages of my career.
06:12Like, for example, I had a great win against Serena in Olympics in Rio. This was a great win for me, a boost of confidence.
06:22I was pretty young at that time. Also, beating Rebecca now to win a bronze medal in Tokyo. This was a massive comeback as well for me to get that medal.
06:38Yeah, there are a couple of matches that I had in the past where I had to come back after being set down or being just generally down in the match.
06:52Yeah, but I rate it pretty high because, for sure, you know, winning from the match points, it's special, especially at the Grand Slam.
07:07Congratulations, first of all. You were very brave in the three match points that you saved, especially one of the three you came to the net, which is not usual in your type of style, no?
07:22You remember, you remember if there was one match point that you thought you were a bit, I don't say lucky, but that she made a mistake that she could have avoided, in your opinion?
07:35And also, okay, you talk about Ukrainian, and we all appreciate that because we are all solidary, we're solidar with that.
07:50If you have to play Rybakina, you normally don't shake hands with the Russian. She's Kazakh, now passport.
07:58Does it make a change or nothing? I mean, if someone, you know, just change a passport, goes in another city, but she was a Moskowitz.
08:06I would like to know if your reaction is different or is exactly the same.
08:12Yeah, so, answering your first question. Yeah, I remember the match point where I finished at the net. It was on a tie break.
08:23And then the first match point, I don't really remember. The second one, I remember she missed, I think, back and down the line or something.
08:31But, you know, it's kind of this moment with a lot of pressure, you know. I feel like I served well, being too much points down.
08:44It was, I think, 5-4 or 5-3 at that time when I was too much points down.
08:52So, of course, you know, it was not usual maybe for her, but also, you know, it's such a pressure moment that sometimes can happen for both of us.
09:02And, yeah, I'm very happy I could save not that much points on the tie break because tie break was, you know, very close and a few points just decided the whole second set.
09:19Answering to your second question, she changed nationality years ago, even before the war started, the invasion started, Rebekina, and representing Kazakh right now.
09:35So, for me, you know, we have a bright example of Daria Kasatkina, who changed to Australia right now and who spoke openly against the war.
09:47So, of course, you know, we're going to shake hands with her right now because she, you know, she gives support to Ukraine.
09:59And we respect the people who do that, not only change the nationality, but also speak about the support of, in support of Ukraine.
10:14Congrats on your great comeback.
10:18And apologies for a non-tennis question again.
10:21But this war, it's been going on and on.
10:26And there are some people in my country, America, who say, well, Russia's wrong, but Ukraine's wrong, too.
10:35But I would like to ask you, as a leader, what is your message to us in America and in the West about this war?
10:45Well, for sure, you know, if we speak about the governments, there are many decisions from many governments, doesn't matter which country it is.
10:55They do some things that we think that they are good and some things are bad.
11:03Of course, it's for all people the same, the same.
11:06But for me, right now, I want to focus, and it's been for many years now.
11:16It's been, the war has been ongoing for over three years.
11:20I want to focus on the innocent people that are suffering in Ukraine, the kids, the kids that are suffering back in Ukraine.
11:31The kids are our future, and we need to take care of them.
11:37Like through my foundation, I try to give them the opportunity to continue playing sport,
11:42to continue dreaming, to continue training, to continue, you know, just have this one or two hours a day, sorry,
11:52where they can enjoy the sport, where they can just switch off for this moment and be just kids, you know.
12:01The kids not in the war, but just kids, like in the States, like here in France, who can just simply enjoy the sport, enjoy the game.
12:16And I try to do everything to raise money for my foundation, to have more opportunities to create for them.
12:28More than one million dollars from all the three years. Thanks.
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