Elina Svitolina gets real on expectations now after successful post-pregnancy return

Elina Svitolina acknowledges she is conscious the expectations on her have elevated following a powerful begin to her post-pregnancy comeback however highlights that her focus stays on placing within the exhausting work and staying wholesome.

Svitolina, who was out for 13 months and at one level ranked at No. 1344 on this planet, received a WTA 250 title in Strasbourg lower than two months after kicking off her post-pregnancy comeback. Then, Svitolina impressively made the French Open quarterfinal earlier than additionally making the Wimbledon semifinal. 

Firstly of this season, Svitolina additionally made some notable outcomes as she was runner-up in Auckland and reached the Australian Open round-of-16 earlier than an unlucky again harm compelled her to retire in opposition to Linda Noskova. After the Australian Open, Svitolina additionally returned to the top-20 for the primary time since 2022 April. 

After taking a while off to handle her again harm, Svitolina is returning to motion at a WTA 1000 match in Dubai.

Svitolina addresses her expectations forward of Dubai

“I might say now there are extra expectations from me, as a result of folks now see that I can play and I can win some titles and I can problem massive gamers,” Svitolina mentioned in Dubai.

“However for me it’s actually necessary to place the work in each day, in each apply. Simply maintain targeted on the work that I’ve to do and the precedence actually is to be wholesome. After I’m wholesome I can play nicely, I can go far within the tournaments, so for me that’s the precedence proper now.”

Within the Dubai first spherical, Svitolina will probably be taking up fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina. For Svitolina, 29, and 27-year-old Kalinina, it’s going to be their second assembly. Their first and lone assembly got here a very long time in the past as Svitolina beat Kalinina at an ITF occasion in 2013 in Donetsk. 

Previously, Svitolina loved massive success in Dubai as she received back-to-back titles on the match in 2017 and 2018.