Elina Svitolina attributes a new mindset towards her successful return to the Tour after sealing her place in the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday.
Svitolina booked her place in the last 32 by coming through a mixed match against 28th seed Elise Mertens. The former world No.3 battled to a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1, victory. There were two brief disruptions to the match with Mertens taking a toilet break after the first set before Svitolina asked for a trainer after the second for a minor issue.
“It was a roller coaster but in the end, I’m really happy with the first and third set,” she said afterwards. “I was playing really good and serving well.”
It has only been three months since Svitolina returned to the Tour following the birth of her first daughter. During that period she has raced up the rankings by becoming the fourth lowest-ranked player in history to win a WTA title in Strasburg. Then at the French Open, she defeated two top 30 players en route to the quarter-finals.
“After playing for so many years at the top level, you want to play well and you want to come back to that level. Of course, it is a very difficult road to come back to your best form and your best game.” She explains.
So far in her career, Svitolina has won 17 WTA titles and earned more than $21.8m in prize money. She has reached the quarter-final stage at every Grand Slam at least once with her best results being in 2019 when she made the last four of both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Although since becoming a mother, she sees life on the Tour from a completely different perspective. In one way it is as if she is embarking upon her second career in the sport rather than continuing her previous one.
“I cannot compare it (my form) to what it was before the pregnancy. Now it is very different. It’s like something new in my game. Also, my mindset is very fresh now and I’m really motivated like never before,” she said.
“I feel good. I feel motivated. Even when there were tough times before Strasbourg I tried to accept it. I just worked through this time and gave myself a good chance to play well again.”
Awaiting the Ukrainian in the next round will be a resurgent Sofia Kenin who is currently on a five-match winning streak. Kenin, who won the 2020 Australian Open, had to come through three rounds of qualifying this year before stunning Coco Gauff in the main draw. In her most recent match, she defeated China’s Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-3.
“Every match that we played they were quite close matches,” Svitolina commented on her rivalry with Kenin.
“It is going to be another tough match for me. I’m looking forward to this battle.”
Svitolina is scheduled to play her third round match tomorrow.
