Elina Svitolina is shining brightly on the women’s tennis scene, and her recent victory at Indian Wells further solidifies her position as one of the most dangerous players today. With an impressive win over six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, Svitolina secured her place in the 2026 semi-finals, a feat that brings her closer to the coveted fifth WTA 1000 title.
The clash against Swiatek was a true battle of titans, where Svitolina stood out by dominating the first set. Although Swiatek responded and forced a decisive third set, the Ukrainian remained unflappable, closing the match with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. “It was definitely a tough battle today,” Svitolina stated. “We had to fight against the heat and the sun — it was insane. But I’m very happy to have managed to keep my composure and start the match well, because she brings a lot of intensity and you have to find your game early.”
The player expressed relief and satisfaction at emerging victorious from such a challenging encounter. “I was happy to get through that. She came back in the second set and it was a pure fight. In the third set, I was glad to have maintained my calm and closed out the match on my serve.”
The secret to her success? An impressive service and an aggressive tactic. Svitolina highlighted that she achieved 81% of first serves, winning 82% of them, a crucial statistic that helped her deliver the final blow against Swiatek. “I tried to put a little more on my serve. Here, it’s difficult to play just with the second serve because the courts are sticky, and you need to adjust. Iga also goes for the second serve, so I focused on my service games and it worked well,” she explained.
With a career marked by adaptability, Svitolina continues to demonstrate why she is a dominant force in women’s tennis. “Champions don’t wait for victories to come to them — they go after them,” she said. This aggressive mindset has been key to her recent successes. “I think I’ve been working on that for the last few years, and it has brought me success. I’m very happy that it’s working and I try to go even further.”
The player has already reached four semi-finals in WTA tournaments just in March, following competitions at the ASB Classic, Australian Open, and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Her focus now shifts to the semi-final against Elena Rybakina. “I treat this as just another match. Of course, in the back of my mind, I feel it’s another opportunity — maybe to reach the final, maybe to win the title. But it’s important to maintain the same routine and the same work in training,” Svitolina said.
Meanwhile, Gaël Monfils, her husband and also a tennis player, is at home fulfilling the role of father. After being eliminated from the tournament, Monfils returned to take care of their three-year-old daughter, Skai. “Gaël is playing the full-time dad role — playing golf with our daughter, going on bike rides,” Svitolina said. He shared that he was happy Skai had slept for two hours, easing some of the parenting duties. “Phew, it was a tough day for me,” he joked.
With a combination of talent, determination, and a balanced family life, Elina Svitolina continues to carve her path toward success, while Gaël Monfils, although off the courts, remains a crucial support in her journey. The anticipation for the upcoming semi-final is palpable, and all eyes will be on her as she seeks another triumph in her impressive career.
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