“The first racket of Ukraine visited the Tennis Channel channel studio”, – WRITE: Sport.ua
“I try to get out of the maximum in the next few years,” said the 14th racket of the world at the tournament in Rome. – I do not know how old I have, but right now I want to make a jerk.
I feel in good shape, I play confidently, mentally fully focused on tournaments. I want to find this advantage, challenge the top players and become one of them again. To achieve this, you need to be practically perfect or at least find your own way. I have all the experience of previous years, but now tennis has become more powerful, and everything is solved. ”
The former third racket of the world, Svitolina left a tour a few months after the conquest of Bronze at the Olympic Games. Together with her husband, the French tennis player Gael Montis, she became a mother of her daughter Sky. At that time, there were few signs that the Ukrainian was going to restore a career that lasted for more than ten years at the time.
However, when she returned to the big arena to Rolan Harros-2023, it became clear-something changed. Svitolina still remained a counter -attack, but now she played with a more aggressive mood. There was no longer the passivity that cost her many difficult matches, in particular, the famous quarterfinals defeat Rolan Harros 2017 from Simona Halep, when she led 6: 4, 5: 1. The desire to beat Winner on both sides came to replace.
The results did not force themselves to wait. The quarterfinals in Paris, then – the semi -final on Wimbledon, where Svitolina held an outstanding match against the first racket of Iga Schwontek. Under the roof of the central court, she punched a spectacular Beckhend along the line and completed one of the loudest victories in her career.
“I always wanted to improve the flow, increase the blows, achieve pure contact with the ball,” Svitolina recalled on the US Open that year. – And I had time. From January to the first match we had three months to just work on my game. ”
The rapid return to the court also led to a number of injuries, but Svitolina preferred to play through pain to represent Ukraine in Paris at the Olympics – a tournament, which is of particular importance to it in a continuous war.
“This is the first thing I think when I wake up,” she said after a first -round victory Rolan Harros with a score of 6: 1, 6: 1 above Zaynep Sonmez. – Only yesterday was a powerful shelling of Kiev … I had to work a lot with a psychologist and a team to learn how to find in this everything inner comfort.
But, of course, it is very difficult. Missiles fall on Ukraine daily. Whenever I call my parents or grandmothers who are still there, I only hear bad news. ”
Svitolina provides direct assistance to the Ukrainian military through her charity fund, and inspires fans at the court with his play. After surgery on her leg in the off -season, she spent the rest of the time, focusing on self -improvement, and even changed the racket from Wilson to Diadem Axis.
“My brother Gael – Daril told me about her,” she confessed in Rome. – He said that these rackets still retain a special structure inside the rim. Most brands are gone. It has a good effect on my game.
I get more light power. The blows have become stronger, perhaps even more severe. And the filing immediately added – it is visible on the speed scoreboard. ”
Svitolina successfully started 2025, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Indian-Vells. On the soil, she has already won the title in Rouen and held quarterfinals in Madrid and Rome. With 26 victories per season, it lags behind only 4 matches from its total 2024 – which, in her opinion, is a consequence of improved physical form.
“I played many intense matches,” says Svitolina, who won 6 out of 9 thrice duels in the season. – The feeling that for many years has not played so many meetings. But this is a nice problem! ”
Despite the changes, her constant support remains the coach Andrew Bettls, with whom she resumed cooperation after a successful 2023 with Raimon Sleiter. Initially, he was her sparring partner, and since 2018 he became the head coach-under his leadership Svitolina won the WTA final tournament and reached the semi-finals of the Great Helme in 2019 twice.
“It is a pity that I did not have a big team at the beginning of my career,” she recalls. – Then it was not so popular, but it may have helped me better monitor health and physical training. Now young players are already coming to the tournament with four to five people. It is pressure, but at the same time – a guarantee of quality, a long career, avoiding injuries. We see that young athletes are better prepared and durable. ”
Another unchanging support is the man Gael Montis, who not only raises her daughter Sky, but also remains a capable unit at her home tournament at 38 years. Despite the fact that he did not fall into the sown, the Montisis began 2025 with the title in Auckland and the fourth round on the Australian Open.
“We inspire each other. We both had a return: he did not know if he would be able to return after injuries. At the court we work and have fun, and at home we completely disconnect from tennis. Each of us has projects: I have a fund and social initiatives, he has a YouTube channel and other ideas.
We love each other as we are – both tennis players and ordinary people outside it. I’m just ordinary Elina! ”
In its segment, the grid Rolan Harros, where the current champion of Iga Schwontek and the fourth sown Jasmine Paolini, Svitolina, sown at the 13th number, can return to the TOP-10 for the first time since 2021.
“I worked a lot to be somewhere near the top players. I still have something to work on in my game, there are moments that can be improved. But I feel that in a good shape it is able to play high levels and compete with the best. The main thing is to continue knocking, continue to look for your best game in every match. ”
