Elina Svitolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Elina Svitolina

Svitolina at the 2023 Washington Open
Native name	Еліна Михайлівна Світоліна
Country (sports)	Ukraine
Residence	London, England Odesa, Ukraine
Born	(1994-09-12) 12 September 1994 (age 30) Odesa, Ukraine
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Turned pro	2010
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 24,309,612 17th in all-time rankings
Official website	Elina Svitolina Foundation in Ukraine
Singles
Career record	466–247 (65.36%)
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 3 (11 September 2017)
Current ranking	No. 23 (11 November 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (2018, 2019, 2025)
French Open	QF (2015, 2017, 2020, 2023)
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	2
Highest ranking	No. 108 (4 May 2015)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2014, 2016)
French Open	2R (2014)
Wimbledon	2R (2016)
US Open	2R (2014)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2016, 2021)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2017)
French Open	2R (2015, 2017)
Wimbledon	3R (2014)
US Open	2R (2018)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	15–11 (57.69%)
Hopman Cup	F (2016)
Medal record Representing  Ukraine Olympic Games Bronze 2020 Tokyo Singles

Elina Mykhailivna Svitolina (born 12 September 1994) is a professional tennis player from Ukraine. She has achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in singles. Elina has won 17 singles titles on the WTA Tour, including the big 2018 WTA Finals. She has also reached the semifinals at three major tournaments, known as Grand Slams.

Elina first entered the world's top 50 in 2013. By 2017, she was in the top 10, becoming the first Ukrainian woman to do so. She won five titles in 2017 alone, which helped her reach the top 10. These wins included important tournaments like the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Italian Open. In 2021, Elina won an Olympic bronze medal in singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This made her the first tennis player from Ukraine to win an Olympic medal. In 2022, Elina took a break from tennis to have her first child. She made a strong return in 2023, winning a WTA title and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open and the semifinals of Wimbledon.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Elina Svitolina was born in Odesa, Ukraine. Her parents were also 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 saw her brother getting a lot of attention for playing tennis. This made her want to play too, and she started at age five.

When Elina was 13, her family moved to Kharkiv, Ukraine. A businessman named Yuriy Sapronov became her sponsor. He had seen 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 said that she turned down offers to change her citizenship for money early in her career.

Professional Tennis Career

Junior Success and First Steps

Elina's biggest achievement as a junior player was winning the girls' event at the 2010 French Open in 2010. She also reached the final of the girls' singles at 2012 Wimbledon Championships, but she lost that match. In 2012, she won her first WTA 125 title at the Royal Indian Open.

Winning First WTA Titles

In 2013, Elina won her first WTA title at the 2013 Baku Cup. She was the first teenager to win a WTA tournament since February 2012. This win helped her ranking jump to No. 49. In 2014, she defended her Baku Cup title. She also achieved her first win against a top-ten player, beating Petra Kvitová, who had just won Wimbledon.

Reaching Major Quarterfinals

Svitolina at the 2015 French Open

In 2015, Elina reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open. After this tournament, her ranking rose to No. 17. This made her the highest-ranked Ukrainian woman in the Open Era.

Olympic Journey and Top 10 Breakthrough

Svitolina at the 2016 Indian Wells Open

Elina started 2016 by playing for Ukraine in the 2016 Hopman Cup final. At the Rio Olympics, she achieved a big win by beating the defending champion and world No. 1, Serena Williams. She reached the quarterfinals of the Olympics.

In 2017, Elina won her fifth career title at the Taiwan Open. She then won her first Premier 5-level title in Dubai. This win moved her into the WTA top 10 for the first time, making her the first Ukrainian woman to reach this milestone. She continued her success by winning the Italian Open and the Canadian Open, both Premier 5 events. These wins helped her reach a career-high ranking of No. 3. She also qualified for the year-end 2017 WTA Finals for the first time.

Winning the WTA Finals

Svitolina at the 2018 French Open

Elina started 2018 by winning the Brisbane International. She also successfully defended her title in Dubai. Later, she won her second straight Italian Open title, beating Simona Halep in the final. At the end of the year, Elina qualified for the 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 finished the year as world No. 4.

Grand Slam Semifinals

Svitolina at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

In 2019, Elina reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. She became the first Ukrainian player to do so. She then reached her second Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open. After these strong performances, she returned to her career-high ranking of No. 3. She also reached the final of the WTA Finals again, but lost to Ashleigh Barty. This was the first year since 2012 that Elina did not win a title.

More Titles and Olympic Medal

Svitolina at the 2020 Australian Open

In 2020, Elina won her 14th singles title at the Monterrey Open. She later won her 15th WTA singles title at Strasbourg. She finished the year ranked No. 5.

Svitolina in the bronze medal match at the 2020 Summer Olympics

In 2021, Elina played in her second Olympics in Tokyo. She aimed to win Ukraine's first-ever tennis medal. She reached the semifinals but lost. In the bronze medal match, she faced Elena Rybakina and won in three sets. This victory earned her the bronze medal, making history for Ukraine. Elina 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, Elina won her 16th WTA title at the Chicago Open. She reached the quarterfinals of the US Open but lost a close match to Leylah Fernandez. She ended 2021 ranked No. 15.

Break for Family and Strong Comeback

In 2022, Elina announced she was taking a break from tennis due to health issues and emotional exhaustion. This was partly due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also announced she was pregnant and gave birth to her first child in October. During her break, Elina actively supported Ukraine through charity events. She helped raise money for her foundation and other organizations.

Svitolina hits a backhand in Strasbourg in 2024.

Elina returned to the tour in April 2023. She quickly found her form, winning her 17th career WTA title in Strasbourg. This was her second title in Strasbourg and her first in 21 months. At the French Open, she reached the fourth round and then the quarterfinals. This was her ninth Grand Slam quarterfinal. Her strong performance helped her return to the top 100 rankings.

Her great form continued at Wimbledon. As a wildcard entry, she reached the quarterfinals and then the semifinals. She famously defeated the world No. 1, Iga Świątek, in the quarterfinals. This was her fourth win over a major champion. She became only the third player in the Open Era to defeat four former major champions in a single Grand Slam tournament. As a result, she returned 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. Elina called on other sports federations to respect Ukrainian athletes' decisions not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players.

Recent Seasons and Milestones

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 again, beating world No. 10 Ons Jabeur along the way. She ended her 2024 season early in September due to surgery.

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

Playing Style

Elina Svitolina is known for her defensive playing style. She plays from the back of the court, hitting consistent shots. She can turn defense into attack when she gets the chance. Her shots are usually hit with moderate power, but she can hit them harder when needed. Her backhand is very strong, especially when she hits it down the line or while running. Both her forehand and backhand shots go deep into the court. Her first serve can reach speeds of about 177 km/h (110 mph). She is good at moving quickly across the court to reach short balls. Her favorite playing surfaces are grass and clay.

Coaches and Equipment

Elina has worked with several coaches throughout her career. These include Sébastien Mathieu, Iain Hughes, and Gabriel Urpí. Former world No. 1 Justine Henin also worked as a coaching consultant for her. More recently, she has worked with Andrew Bettles, Marcos Baghdatis, Andis Juška, and Raemon Sluiter.

For her clothing and shoes, Elina was sponsored by Nike for many years. In 2023, she started endorsing Adidas. She uses Wilson racquets, specifically from their Blade range. In 2025, she began endorsing Diadem racquets.

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 in July 2021. Elina has decided not to change her last name to Monfils for her tennis career, but she uses "Elina Monfils" on her social media. On 15 May 2022, Elina and Gaël announced they were expecting their first child, a girl, who was born later that year.

Recognition

• Member 3rd Class of the Order of Merit (2017)
• Member 2nd Class of the Order of Merit (2020)
• Honorary Citizen of Kharkiv (2020)
• Forbes 30 Under 30 (Europe, Sports & Games) (2020)
• Member 3rd Class of the Order of Princess Olga (2021)