Elena Rybakina n'a plus les résultats étincelants de ces dernières années. La Kazakhstanaise est sortie du Top 10, mais a mis fin à une disette de plus d'un an sans titre, à Strasbourg, quelques jours avant d'arriver à Roland-Garros. La confiance retrouvée, la joueuse de 25 ans pourrait bien faire son trou dans la partie haute du tableau. Mercredi, elle a logiquement disposé de la jeune américaine Iva Jovic, 17 ans, en deux manches (6-3, 6-3). Des anciennes vainqueurs du Grand Chelem parisien se profilent désormais sur son passage : Jelena Ostapenko, puis potentiellement Iga Swiatek.
« Le tennis, partout & toujours ici », sur https://www.tennisactu.net / Tennis Actu
00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.
00:30Nous avons joué avant, donc je savais comment elle joue, et je suis plus ou moins heureux avec le match.
00:39Questions, please?
00:44Je ne sais pas si vous avez vu le titre la semaine dernière, donc félicitations sur ça.
00:48Merci.
00:48Comment vous avez-vous senti-vous sur votre année?
00:51Il y a eu des moments de très élevé, des moments de très élevé, mais aussi des joueurs qui ont eu lieu à gagner des tournaments, comme Keyes ou Andreeva.
00:59So how do you measure sort of your 2025 overall?
01:03Well, definitely it's not the start I usually had before, usually after preseason.
01:10I played really well, and this time it was different.
01:14I missed last year, end of the whole season, and it takes time for me to get back where I want to be.
01:26But slowly, I think we're in the right direction, and working pretty much on everything to be better every day.
01:39Hi.
01:40I wanted to ask your impressions of hers, since you've now played her twice in the span of a few months.
01:47What sort of a player, how would you describe her as a player, what do you think her strengths are?
01:57Well, I think I would say that maybe on hard court, it's a little bit, she's more dangerous.
02:05Maybe Clay, I mean, I think the Clay is very specific, and maybe not everyone feels so uncomfortable, but I feel like on hard, maybe she's more dangerous.
02:20But I think she has good strokes, and overall attitude also is there, she's fighting, so I think it's just a matter of experience and much play on tour.
02:39You said today has been a really long day, just curious, like, could you kind of describe your day, like, when it started, when you got here, and what it felt like?
02:53Well, I had heat at 2.30, but I was here on site already at 1.00, and it was a bit raining, but didn't change the schedule so much.
03:08But the match before, the match was a little bit longer, so not much I did, I just warmed up, changed, had lunch, talked a bit with the team, and then I was just waiting for my match.
03:25I had even a nap, which I usually don't do, but it was really a long match before, and then warmed up again before the match.
03:33One of the unique things about tennis is that you don't know when your match is going to start, right?
03:40What's, like, the most memorable moment you've had where you've been waiting for a match, and it's gone up and down, and maybe someone's missed the match point, and you've, I don't know, I imagine you have to warm up quite a few times sometimes.
03:53Yeah, I don't remember the specific match, but definitely if you play after men, you never know what's going to happen, because they play three out of five, so it's a bit tricky.
04:03Okay, and, but you have to be ready, so if you go to warm up, and then the match continues, then you just wait and warm up again, this is maximum you can do.
04:14Does it make you dislike five sets, then, when you're waiting behind a male player?
04:19Does it what?
04:20Does it make you dislike best of five sets when you're waiting behind a best of five sets match that never ends?
04:25I mean, no, I don't really focus on that, it's just, it is what it is, you're trying to do your best, and it happens sometimes.
04:32Can you play Ostapenko next?
04:36Here's what you think about her as an opponent.
04:40Dangerous opponent, I mean, she, she hits the ball really hard, she, she can be very aggressive, so, um, I will definitely need to focus a lot on my serve, and, uh, uh, be focused, uh, be solid, patient, and, uh, take the chances when I get them.
04:58What is she like as a returner, when you're playing against her?
05:02Mm-hmm.
05:02Well, it's, it all depends, because, uh, if I serve well, uh, I have a good placement that day, it's, it's not easy to return, no matter who is on the other side.
05:14Um, but definitely, she has some good shots, which, even if you serve well, it can be, um, tough, uh, because she, she can return really well, so, we will see how it's gonna go.
05:29With, with, with your, with Stefano, who's somewhere in the city, are you able to find courts to practice with, with him during the tournament, or is that only at not, uh, tournament times?
05:40Um, no, we usually, uh, practice together between the tournaments, not, uh, when the tournament is on.
