Elina Svitolina wins first WTA Tour match since coming back from maternity leave

Elina Svitolina registered her first win on the WTA Tour since returning from maternity leave in April. The Ukrainian and her husband, Gael Monfils, welcomed their daughter, Skai, on October 15, 2022.

On Sunday, Elina Svitolina won her first-round match at the 2023 Strasbourg Open. She defeated American Louisa Chirico in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (1), to advance to the second round, where she will meet either World No. 26 Elise Mertens or American Katie Volynets.

The 28-year-old went on a year-long break from tennis after losing to Heather Watson in the first round of the 2022 Miami Open. Svitolina took some time away initially to nurse a back issue. However, her stay on the sidelines, amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, was prolonged due to her pregnancy.

Svitolina marked her comeback on the WTA Tour at the 2023 Charleston Open, receiving a wildcard. However, she lost to Yulia Putintseva in a close three-setter, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 4-6, in the first round. The Ukrainian has since played at two WTA events (Madrid and Rome), one Challenger event (Saint-Malo), and two ITF tournaments. She faced first-round exits in both Madrid and Rome, falling to Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Lesia Tsurenko respectively.

At Saint-Malo, Elina Svitolina managed to rack up back-to-back wins and reach the semifinal before her run was stopped by eventual champion Sloane Stephens 7-5, 7-6(5). These wins have helped the Ukrainian climb up the WTA rankings, currently at World No. 540.

The win in Strasbourg will be a huge confidence booster for Svitolina as she prepares to play at the French Open 2023. After missing out on the Australian Open, she has entered the second Grand Slam of the year via protected ranking.

Elina Svitolina opens up about her comeback from maternity break

Elina Svitolina

Elina Svitolina recently opened up about the challenges she faced while preparing to make a comeback on the WTA Tour after giving birth. In an interview with Tennis Channel after losing to Putintseva at the Charleston Open, Svitolina acknowledged the physical toll of playing a professional match after more than a year.

"I pushed through some tough moments because it was not easy physically for me today," Svitolina said.

The former World No. 3 listed a few positives that she took from the match, like her ball hitting and level of competitiveness. Svitolina also admitted that the loss would help her analyze the areas that needed improvement.

"I’m really happy with the way I played today. Now I can see more clear what I have to improve to be better. I’m hitting the ball well just have to work more on my fitness," she said.