[In Pictures] Elina Svitolina shares moments with daughter Skai and announces return to tennis on clay

New mom Elina Svitolina has been away from tennis for almost a year now. She has been enjoying motherhood, being active on social media, and sharing updates from her life.

The 28-year-old took an indefinite break from the sport in March 2022 after poor performances at the Indian Wells and Miami events due to a back problem.

In May 2022, Svitolina announced that she and her husband, Gael Monfils, were expecting their first child. Their baby daughter Skai was born in October. She recently expressed excitement to see her husband, Monfils, back on the ATP Tour at Indian Wells.

When asked by a fan about when the Ukrainian would be returning to tennis, she responded by saying, “soon.” The former World No. 3 is expected to return to the WTA Tour for the 2023 clay court season.

She posted more pictures of her life as a new mom on her Instagram account, saying she finds happiness in the small moments.

“Happiness lives inside of the smallest moments,” she captioned the post.

The post included pictures of the Olympics bronze medalist practising on a clay court in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It also included photos of the 28-year-old with her baby daughter on the beach; along with snaps of coffee, flowers, and the new mom herself getting back into shape.

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“Enjoying veryyy much” - Elina Svitolina on motherhood

Elina Svitolina enjoying motherhood

In a recent fan interaction, Elina Svitolina admitted that she enjoys every moment of being a mom. The Ukrainian welcomed her first child with her husband, Gael Monfils, in October 2022.

"How are you enjoying being a mom?" the fan had asked.

“Enjoying veryyy much,” the Olympic Bronze winner responded.

In the interaction, the tennis star disclosed many details about her daughter Skai. She told her fans that her daughter’s middle name was ‘Rose,’ and also that the six-month-old's favorite books were 'Peppa Pig Snuggle' and 'Cuddle Cloth Book'.

The former World No. 3 is working towards returning to the WTA Tour. She is expected to return during the spring clay season. However, Svitolina recognizes that the women’s game has become very physical and does not want to rush herself.

"I will try to be ready for the summer, but I try not to rush things. Because I know I need to be very strong to be back on tour because right now tennis is very physical," she said in a recent conversation with New York Times.