Watch: Elina Svitolina breaks down in emotional press conference after Wimbledon exit

Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian wild card who made history by reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, could not hold back her tears at her post-match press conference as she thanked her fans for their incredible support.

The 28-year-old lost to Markéta Vondroušová in straight sets on Thursday, ending her fairy-tale run at the All England Club, less than a year after giving birth to her daughter, Skaï Monfils.

Svitolina, who became the first Ukrainian woman to make it to the last four at Wimbledon, defeated four former Grand Slam champions in a row en route to the semifinals. She beat Venus Williams, Sofia Keinn, Victoria Azarenka, and Iga Swiatek in successive rounds, displaying her resilience and courage.

In her post-match press conference, Svitolina said she was disappointed with her performance against Vondrousova.

“Yeah, quite disappointed about the match, the performance today. So, yeah, just a good tournament, of course, but disappointed today,” Svitolina said.

The 28-year-old said she was not too nervous despite the expectation of fans from her home country, where millions of people followed her historic run.

"Of course, I know that people support me, but it's quite expected because I'm in the semi-final. I think it's quite normal because it's the semi-final, so quite expected. I had to deal with the situation maybe a bit better, but I wouldn't say that I was too nervous," Svitolina added.

Svitolina broke down in tears while speakin about the support she has received from Ukrainians all over the world.

“I got a lot of messages from different people. It’s unbelievable that they’ve been there with me. Hopefully they continue (crying),” she said.

The video of Elina Svitolina's press conference was posted on Wimbledon's official youtube channel on Thursday, July 13.

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"She's a very tricky opponent; She played well and dealt with my game better": Elina Svitolina on Markéta Vondroušová

Elina Svitolina and Markéta Vondroušová in Wimbledon 2023

Elina Svitolina faced a tough challenge in Marketa Vondroušová, the 24-year-old who became the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to advance to the Wimbledon final since Billie Jean King in 1963. The World No. 42 produced a dazzling array of shots and skills to dominate Svitolina 6-3 6-3 in just an hour and 14 minutes on Centre Court.

Svitolina praised her Czech opponent’s tricky game style and wished she had dealt better with her varied game.

"I should have found a better way to deal with Marketa's game style. She's a very tricky opponent. She gets lots of balls back. I'm just not very happy with the way that I dealt with the situation, with some points at the beginning as well. She played really well and dealt with my game better today," Svitolina said in her post-match press conference.

Despite her loss, Elina Svitolina said she was proud of her achievement and hoped to continue playing at a high level. She also congratulated Vondroušová on reaching the final and wished her luck.

“I tried to fight back and give everything out there. I didn’t play my best today. It didn’t happen. She played great. She was really patient today and was playing really great points until the very end,” she said.