"If I'm not gonna win, I'm gonna die" - Elina Svitolina reveals motivation behind facing Russian players after Australian Open 4R win

Elina Svitolina recently gave her thoughts on the motivators behind her unassailable winning record against Russian WTA players over the last three years. The Ukrainian admittedly isn't fond of Russia due to their ongoing invasion of her home country, a sentiment that has fueled her focused performances whenever faces a Russian opponent.

Svitolina is having a stellar campaign at the 2025 Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals for the third time in her career. The World No. 27, who has only dropped one set in four victories leading up to the last eight, will face 19th-seeded Madison Keys for a spot in the semifinals in Melbourne.

After her fourth-round victory over Russia's Veronika Kudermetova on Monday (January 20), Elina Svitolina was informed during her press conference that she hadn't lost to a Russian pro since January 2022. When asked about the difference in her approach typical match compared to one against a Russian, the 30-year-old refrained from giving a definitive answer.

However, the former World No. 3 did insist that she was willing to "die on the court" in such a situation due to the negative "associations" that she has built for Russia.

"I don't do anything different when I face a Russian. I just feel that the spirit is different," Elina Svitolina told the media in Melbourne on Monday. "I put all my energy there. If I'm not gonna win I'm gonna almost die on the court. The associations I make with that country are very tough and painful in my heart. So of course, I have an extra motivation."

Svitolina made quick work of Russia's Veronika Kudermetova on Monday, going through 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 20 minutes. The 28th seed subsequently refused to greet her Russian opponent at the net, as has been customary for her since the ITF banned Russian and Belarusian players from representing their respective countries on the global stage of tennis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

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Elina Svitolina boasts of an 8-0 winning record against Russian WTA players since January 2022

Elina Svitolina celebrates after reaching third-career QFs at Australian Open (Credits: Getty)

For academic purposes, Elina Svitolina owns an 8-0 positive win/loss record versus Russian players on the WTA Tour in the last three years. During this time, she has downed Daria Kasatkina (2023 French Open, 2023 Citi Open), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2023 US Open), Anna Kalinskaya (2024 Italian Open), Karolina Pliskova (2024 French Open), Anna Blinkova (2023 French Open, 2023 Internationeaux de Strasbourg) and Anastasia Potapova (2022 Monterrey Open).

Svitolina's last defeat to a Russian came in the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International to Anastasia Gasanova. Moreover, it should be noted that while the Ukrainian has dominated the Russians thoroughly in the last two years, her rivalry against pros from Belarus — Russia's allies in their war on Ukraine — has not been in her favor since 2022.

The 30-year-old has gone 2-5 in her last seven tour-level outings against Belarusians in the last three years, losing to Aryna Sabalenka (2024 Cincinnati Open, 2024 Italian Open, 2023 French Open), Victoria Azarenka (2022 Australian Open) and Aliaksandra Sasnovich (2023 Madrid Open).