Elina Svitolina facts for kids

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In this article, the patronymic is Mykhailivna and the family name is Svitolina.

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Elina Svitolina

Svitolina at the 2023 Washington Open

Native name

Еліна Михайлівна Світоліна

Country (sports)

Ukraine

Residence

Monaco
Odesa, Ukraine

Born

12 September 1994 (age 30)
Odesa, Ukraine

Height

1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)

Turned pro

2010

Plays

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Coach

Andrew Bettles

Prize money

US$ 26,066,367

14th in all-time rankings

Official website

Elina Svitolina Foundation in Ukraine

Singles

Career record

513–267 (65.77%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 3 (11 September 2017)

Current ranking

No. 14 (16 June 2025)

Grand Slam singles results

Australian Open

QF (2018, 2019, 2025)

French Open

QF (2015, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2025)

Wimbledon

SF (2019, 2023)

US Open

SF (2019)

Other tournaments

Tour Finals

W (2018)

Olympic Games

Bronze (2021)

Doubles

Career record

48–68 (41.38%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 108 (4 May 2015)

Grand Slam doubles results

1R (2014, 2016)

2R (2014)

2R (2016)

2R (2014)

Other doubles tournaments

Olympic Games

1R (2016, 2021)

Grand Slam mixed doubles results

SF (2017)

2R (2015, 2017)

3R (2014)

2R (2018)

Team competitions

Fed Cup

15–11 (57.69%)

Hopman Cup

F (2016)

Medal record

Olympic Games

Representing Ukraine
Bronze	2020 Tokyo	Singles

Elina Svitolina (born September 12, 1994) is a professional tennis player from Ukraine. She has achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in singles. Elina has won 18 singles titles on the WTA Tour, including the important 2018 WTA Finals. She has also reached the semifinals at three major tournaments, known as Grand Slams.

Elina first entered the top 50 players in the world in July 2013. By May 2017, she reached the top 10, becoming the first Ukrainian woman to do so. She won her first WTA title in 2013. In 2017, she won five titles, which helped her climb into the top 10. Her wins include the 2018 WTA Finals and three big Premier 5 tournaments. These were the Dubai Tennis Championships, the Italian Open, and the Canadian Open. She also won two doubles titles at the İstanbul Cup in 2014 and 2015.

In 2019, Elina had her best Grand Slam results, reaching the semifinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she won the bronze medal in women's singles. This made her the first Ukrainian tennis player to win an Olympic medal. Elina took a break from tennis in 2022 to have her first child. She made a strong return in 2023, winning a WTA title and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open. She also made it to the semifinals of Wimbledon, where she beat the world No. 1 player, Iga Świątek.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Elina Svitolina was born in Odesa, Ukraine. Her parents were both athletes; her father, Mikhaylo, was a wrestler, and her mother, Olena, was a rower. Elina has an older brother named Yulian. When she was a child, she noticed her brother getting a lot of attention for playing tennis. This inspired her to start playing at age five to get her father's attention too.

When Elina was 13, her family moved to Kharkiv, Ukraine. This happened after a businessman named Yuriy Sapronov became her sponsor. He saw her play when she was 12 and was very impressed. He decided to invest in her training and help her become a professional player.

Elina still officially lives in Kharkiv but trains in other countries. She has a home in London as well. Early in her career, she turned down offers to change her citizenship for large amounts of money. She has been actively learning the Ukrainian and French languages.

Tennis Career Highlights

Junior Success and First Steps

Elina's brother, Yulian Svitolin, coached her for five years when she was younger. During this time, she improved a lot. Her biggest achievement as a junior player was winning the girls' event at the 2010 French Open in 2010. She beat Ons Jabeur in the final. She also reached the final of the girls' singles at 2012 Wimbledon Championships, but lost to Eugenie Bouchard. In 2012, she won her first WTA 125 title at the 2012 Royal Indian Open in India.

Winning First WTA Title

In 2013, Elina played in the 2013 Australian Open but lost in the first round. Later that year, she won her first WTA title at the 2013 Baku Cup. She beat Shahar Pe'er in the final. This win made her the first teenager to win a WTA tournament since February 2012. Her ranking jumped to No. 49 after this victory.

Climbing the Ranks

At the 2014 Australian Open, Elina defeated two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. She reached the third round of the tournament. She successfully defended her Baku Cup title in 2014. At the 2014 Western & Southern Open, she earned her first win against a top-ten player, beating the Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová. She also reached her first Premier-5 semifinal at the Wuhan Open.

In 2015, Elina reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2015 French Open. She became the highest-ranked Ukrainian woman in the Open Era after this tournament. She also won her third career title in Marrakech, Morocco.

Olympic Debut and Top 10 Breakthrough

Svitolina at the 2016 Indian Wells Open

Elina started 2016 by reaching the final of the 2016 Hopman Cup with her teammate Alexandr Dolgopolov. She won her fourth WTA Tour title at the Malaysian Open. At the Rio Olympics, she achieved a big win by defeating the defending champion and world No. 1, Serena Williams. She reached the quarterfinals of the Olympics. Later in 2016, she reached the semifinals of the Tokyo and Beijing tournaments. She finished the year ranked 14th in the world.

A Stellar Year: Three Premier 5 Titles

Svitolina at the 2017 Indian Wells Open

The year 2017 was amazing for Elina. She won her fifth career title at the 2017 Taiwan Open. She then won her first Premier 5 title at the 2017 Dubai Tennis Championships. This win helped her enter the WTA top 10 for the first time, making history for Ukraine. She won her third title of the year in Istanbul.

Elina continued her success by winning her second Premier 5 title at the Italian Open in Rome. She beat two top-5 players and then Simona Halep in the final. This pushed her ranking to a career-high of No. 6. She reached her second major quarterfinal at the 2017 French Open. Her fifth title of the year came at the Canadian Open in Toronto, where she defeated four top-10 players. She qualified for the year-end 2017 WTA Finals for the first time. She finished 2017 ranked No. 6.

WTA Finals Champion

Svitolina at the 2018 French Open

Elina started 2018 by winning the 2018 Brisbane International title. She then reached her first Australian Open quarterfinal at the 2018 Australian Open. She successfully defended her title at the 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships. Elina also won her second straight Italian Open title, beating Simona Halep again.

The biggest win of her career came at the 2018 WTA Finals in Singapore. She won all three of her group matches. In the final, she came back from a set down to beat Sloane Stephens, winning the biggest title of her career. She ended 2018 as the world No. 4.

Two Grand Slam Semifinals

Svitolina at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

In 2019, Elina reached her second consecutive quarterfinal at the 2019 Australian Open. She also made it to three semifinals in a row at Doha, Dubai, and Indian Wells.

Elina made history by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. She became the first Ukrainian woman to do so. She then reached her second Grand Slam semifinal in a row at the US Open. She returned to her career-high ranking of No. 3 after this. Despite not winning a title in 2019, her consistent performance allowed her to qualify for the 2019 WTA Finals again. She reached the final but lost to Ashleigh Barty.

More Titles and Top 5 Ranking

Svitolina at the 2020 Australian Open

Elina won her 14th singles title at the 2020 Monterrey Open in 2020. She then won her 15th WTA singles title at the Strasbourg tournament. At the 2020 French Open, she reached the quarterfinals. She finished 2020 ranked No. 5 in the world.

Olympic Bronze Medal

Svitolina in the bronze medal match at the 2020 Summer Olympics

In 2021, Elina reached the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open and the semifinals of the 2021 Miami Open. She also made it to the semifinals of the Stuttgart Open.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Elina won the bronze medal in singles. This was a very special moment for her and for Ukraine, as it was the country's first Olympic medal in tennis. She said, "To win such a big battle for the bronze, it means the world for me. Everyone in Ukraine is watching, we don't win so many medals, it's very special for me and Ukraine."

After the Olympics, she won her 16th WTA title at the 2021 Chicago Women's Open. She then reached her second US Open quarterfinal at the 2021 US Open. She finished 2021 ranked No. 15.

Break from Tennis and Comeback

In 2022, Elina announced she was taking a break from tennis due to health issues and emotional exhaustion. This was especially difficult because of the war in Ukraine. She also announced she was pregnant and gave birth to her daughter in October 2022.

During her break, Elina actively supported Ukraine through charity events. She helped raise money for her foundation and other organizations.

In April 2023, Elina returned to the tour. She quickly found her form, reaching the semifinals at the Open de Saint-Malo. She then won her 17th career WTA title at the Strasbourg tournament. This was her second title in Strasbourg and her first title in 21 months.

She continued her amazing comeback at the 2023 French Open, reaching the quarterfinals. She then had a fantastic run at Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals. She defeated the world No. 1, Iga Świątek, during this tournament. This performance helped her return to the top 30 in the rankings.

In July 2023, Elina spoke out in support of Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan. Kharlan was disqualified for not shaking hands with her Russian opponent, offering a blade tap instead. Elina called for other sports federations to respect Ukrainian athletes' decisions not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players.

Svitolina hits a backhand in Strasbourg in 2024.

Recent Seasons

At the 2024 Australian Open, Elina reached the fourth round but had to stop playing due to a back injury. At Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals, beating world No. 10 Ons Jabeur along the way. She ended her 2024 season early in September due to surgery.

In 2025, Elina made history at the 2025 Australian Open. With her second-round win, she became the first Ukrainian player, male or female, to achieve 100 main draw wins at Grand Slams. She then reached the quarterfinals of the tournament for the third time.

Playing Style

Elina Svitolina is known as a defensive baseliner. This means she plays mostly from the back of the court. Her style is often described as "deceptively casual," but she can play brilliantly when she's in good form. She is very good at turning defense into offense. Her groundstrokes are consistent and deep, meaning they land close to the opponent's baseline. Her backhand is especially strong, particularly when she hits it down the line or while running.

Her first serve can be very fast, reaching speeds of about 177 km/h (110 mph). However, her second serve is sometimes weaker and can be attacked by opponents. She can struggle against very aggressive players who make few mistakes. Elina has good reactions and can move quickly across the court. Her favorite surfaces to play on are grass and clay.

Coaches

Elina has worked with several coaches throughout her career. Some notable coaches include Sébastien Mathieu, Iain Hughes, Gabriel Urpí, and Thierry Ascione. Andrew Bettles became her full-time coach in 2018. Marcos Baghdatis also worked with her in 2020. After her maternity leave, Elina returned to the tour in April 2023 with Raemon Sluiter as her coach. She later split with Sluiter in July 2024.

Equipment

Elina Svitolina has been sponsored by different sports brands for her clothing and shoes. Since 2023, she has been endorsing Adidas clothing and shoes. She uses Wilson racquets, specifically from their Wilson Blade range. In 2025, she started using the Diadem Axis 98 racquet from Diadem Sports.

Personal Life

Elina Svitolina is married to ATP tennis player Gaël Monfils. They started their relationship in 2019 and got engaged in April 2021. They were married on July 16, 2021. Elina uses "Elina Monfils" on her social media, but she does not plan to change her last name for tennis tournaments while she is still playing.

On May 15, 2022, Elina and Gaël announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter was born later that year.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Singles Performance

Tournament	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian Open	A	A	1R	3R	3R	2R	3R	QF	QF	3R	4R	3R	A	4R	QF	0 / 12	29–12	71%
French Open	Q1	Q2	2R	2R	QF	4R	QF	3R	3R	QF	3R	A	QF	4R	QF	0 / 12	33–12	73%
Wimbledon	A	Q1	1R	1R	2R	2R	4R	1R	SF	NH	2R	A	SF	QF	3R	0 / 11	22–11	67%
US Open	A	1R	2R	1R	3R	3R	4R	4R	SF	A	QF	A	3R	3R		0 / 11	24–11	69%
Win–loss	0–0	0–1	2–4	3–4	9–4	7–4	12–4	9–4	15–4	6–2	10–4	2–1	11–3	12–4	8–2	0 / 45	106–45	70%