Elina Svitolina: First Round Press Conference

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conference

as usual please raise your hand say your name and affiliation if you want to ask a question Elena I will start what do you think about today's game? It was a special day for me today to plan Santa dates, I mean. It couldn't be more special to also play against a great champion like Venus and it's really happy to be able to get a

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victory on center court for my newspaper, um, congratulations, I've read a lot about you every day. a hard day that's one of the things I read, can you tell me something about that?

Yeah, I mean, when I wake up I always check the news every moment I'm not on the court. I'm checking how my family is doing and how the situation is. is in Ukraine monitoring all the time what is happening and how me and my Foundation, the team around me, how can we help in that particular moment, for some children, for my family, for friends forever, for anyone, so This is pretty much the life I have. Now, on a daily basis, do you sometimes think well as an athlete? You could have done so much better. I think in that case, if you are always worried, it must be that no, I don't think about it at all.

I do not know, maybe yes. You know, I could have done it, maybe I couldn't have done it and I don't know. This in many ways also motivates me to go out and play and practice. You know people are having horrible times in Ukraine right now and not for me. There are no excuses to complain because I have an incredible and wonderful life. I can't complain, so this motivates me in many ways to go to practice and train and be better every day on Saturday by ex

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ing some disappointment that Wimbledon allowed this to the Russian and Belarusian players. year, what difference do you think the

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day made?

Do you feel it at all? Do you feel like I don't know any more fan support or anything else? Any noticeable difference? Well, I feel the support, uh, a lot of support from the people in England and a lot of people express that they know they support me and the Ukrainians too. I don't know because they didn't compete here last year, so yeah, I can't say more. Other questions how often. Do you talk to people at home almost every day? Yes, yes, with my grandmother. I speak almost every day. My dad was there too, in Ukraine, so yes, I chat with him and talk, and when I can have a moment, always checking them, checking them, your grandmother is still there and her father is traveling, yes, exactly, he comes and goes, My grandmother always stays there, she is over 80 85 years old, so it is difficult for her to travel.

Yes, her health is not good enough. to leave Ukraine and it's your country, yeah, sure, sure, and she loves, loves her home, which is, uh, yeah, it's going to be impossible for her to leave the city, even yeah, just in today's game. I mean, what would you do? Say what you were thinking when Venus Williams fell so early in the match. I mean, she looked pretty bad at the time, but yeah, it was, because she screamed really loud too. I, uh, was shocked. No Yes. In a way I was really surprised because I thought it was very, very serious so I was very happy for her, she was actually able to get up afterwards and she didn't take a medical time out, I was just checking how her knees were and then we kept playing , so I was very happy because it is such a horrible injury, the knee injury and any injury is serious, but you know she screamed very loudly, so I was really scared in the last question to win the way you did, than having to retire because of Yeah, sure, I mean, she tried and you know, the championship she fought, she gave it her all and yeah, I'm an amazing champion, she thanks you so much.