Vladislav Emchenko: "We all took valuable lessons from this season"

Zenit's guard Vladislav Emchenko reflects on the 2025/26 season, his first year in Saint Petersburg, adapting to life at the new team, the key takeaways from the championship, and his plans for the summer.

— Vladislav, your first season with Zenit has come to an end, and it was certainly a challenging one. What are your emotions after your first year in Saint Petersburg?

— Yes, time flew by so quickly. I remember last summer, when I signed my contract and realized I was changing cities and leaving the club where I had grown up and spent my entire career. Naturally, I had my concerns. It was a new environment, a new club. I wondered how the city would welcome me and how the fans would receive me. From the very first days, though, the adaptation went much faster than I expected. I immediately felt like I was part of a family. I'm an open and sincere person by nature, so I felt comfortable right away.

Now, looking back after the season, I can honestly say I'm happy and grateful that everything turned out the way it did and that I'm here. Of course, we wanted more. I'm not going to make excuses or say we achieved what we had hoped for. We wanted to make our fans, our families, and everyone who stood by us proud. But the result is what it is. The important thing is that we stayed united, and now we'll focus on preparing for next season.

— You mentioned your adaptation. So would you say that period wasn't particularly difficult?

— It wasn't easy because I didn't know what to expect. I thought it would take much longer to settle in. But, as I said, from day one I felt as if I'd been here for years. I'd like to thank the club, the entire organization, my teammates, the coaching staff, and of course our fans, who welcomed me so warmly. In return, I always tried to give everything I had, both on and off the court. So, in the end, I'd say there was hardly any adaptation period at all.

— A lot has already been said about the team's results, but now that some time has passed, can you identify what was missing in those two playoff series?

— It came down to a lot of small basketball details. You could say we lacked a little bit of luck at times. Injuries played a role. In some moments, we simply ran out of energy. It was a combination of many small factors that prevented us from reaching the goal we had worked so hard for, believed in, and, in my opinion, deserved. We had everything we needed: resources, a talented team, and a great organization. But that's sports — you either win or you lose. That's how things turned out, and we have to accept the result. There's no point dwelling on it now. Summer is ahead of us. We need to rest, recharge, and come back stronger next season with the same ambitions. As Alexander Medvedev said, Zenit's only goal is to win every game, every championship, and every tournament. We always strive for first place.

— Is there a teammate you've become especially close to this season — someone you would call a friend?

— I already knew most of the guys before joining the team. Even when we played against each other, we remained friends or at least good acquaintances off the court. If I had to name one person, it would probably be Trent. Hopefully no one knows which building he lives in (laughs), because it just so happened that we live in the same building, and that definitely helped us become closer. We often shared taxis to practice, and from the very beginning of the season he was one of the people who made my already quick adaptation even easier. He's been here for four seasons now, so he knows the city and understands everything about the club. So I'd definitely mention Trent. He's a great guy and a great player. Hopefully we'll be sharing the court together again next season.

— What did this season teach you?

— Every season teaches me something, regardless of whether we finish first, second, third, or fourth. This season was packed with games, and I gained tremendous experience. For the first time in my career, I found myself in a situation where we were just one win away from the Finals, leading the series 3-1. I had also never before lost a best-of-five series after leading 2-0. Looking back, you wonder how that happened. I wouldn't say our team became complacent, but the biggest lesson for me is that you can never relax for even a second or think you've already accomplished your goal before it's actually done. You have to stay focused until the very end and never celebrate too early. One second, one shot, one possession, or one game can completely change everything. It can knock you off the path you've worked so hard to follow and prevent you from achieving your goals. We all learned from this experience, so we're looking ahead with optimism and are already focused on next season.

— What would your ideal offseason look like?

— Spending time with my family and, above all, getting some mental rest. As I said, it was a long and demanding season, and it wasn't easy psychologically. First, I want to recover mentally and physically. Then comes the summer work. That's extremely important for every athlete, especially for a basketball player: putting in productive work in the weight room, practicing on the court, and improving my skills. After that, I'll take a little more time to rest before August arrives. Then I'll be excited to see the guys again, reunite with the coaching staff and the whole team, and begin a new season — a new journey toward the goals we've all been dreaming of.