"Skai told me a few tips" - Elina Svitolina jokes about secret to back-to-back wins against Victoria Azarenka since giving birth to daughter

Elina Svitolina has jokingly stated that her daughter Skai's tips helped her register back-to-back wins against Victoria Azarenka on the tour.

Svitolina was 0-5 in the head-to-head against Azarenka until 2022. However, since her return to the tour following her maternity break in October last year, the Ukrainian has won both her matches against the Belarusian.

Any hopes of taking revenge for her Wimbledon fourth-round loss against Svitolina went in vain for Azarenka as the Ukrainian powered to a 7-6(2), 6-4 win in the first round of the Citi Open on Monday, July 31. During her on-court interview, Svitolina reflected on her better performances against the Belarusian and jokingly thanked Skai for her tips.

"Well, Skai told me a few tips I guess," Elina Svitolina said.

Svitolina also wished success for her husband Gael Monfils at the Citi Open, one of his favorite tournaments according to the Ukrainian.

"We talk time to time. Depends which mood we’re in. We both play tennis at such a high level. So tennis is a big part of our life. He’s been preparing really hard for this tournament, US swing, he loves to play here. One of his favorite tournaments," she added.

Monfils got off to a flying start at the ATP 500 event, defeating Bjorn Fratangelo in straight sets. This marks just the second tour-level win for the Frenchman in 2023.

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"It's nice to have each other" - Elina Svitolina on traveling together with Gael Monfils for Citi Open

Elina Svitolina at the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships

Elina Svitolina recently expressed her excitement about traveling together with Gael Monfils for the 2023 Citi Open. In a press conference, the former World No. 3 stated that it was nice to have each other's support and spend quality time together.

"Yes, actually was one of the reasons, you know, to come here, because we could spend some time together. It's nice to have each other, support each other, and spend time together with our teams" Svitolina said.

She further emphasized her healthy relationship with the Frenchman, stating that they acknowledge advice and tips they share with each other.

"We are not scared to tell each other some things that might hurt each other. I think this is very important that you receive this information as an advice for your best and not like someone tries to hurt someone," the Ukrainian added.

Elina Svitolina will square off against Daria Kasatkina in the second round. She has never lost against the Russian in their previous seven meetings.

Meanwhile, Monfils will next face sixth seed Alexander Bublik. This will be their third meeting on the tour. The head-to-head stands all square at 1-1.