Elina Svitolina’s career renaissance has been a joy to watch, having just gone from strength to strength ever since she returned from having a child.
In fact, there’s an argument to be made that this is the very best version of her we have ever seen, and so the 31-year-old heads to Roland Garros as a genuine favourite for the first time in her career.
That being said, there are also plenty of other superstars who will also fancy their chances of a run to the title, and whoever wins it will have to survive a gauntlet to do so.
Elina Svitolina has been discussing her prospects at major tournaments ahead of this year’s French Open, stating whether she’d be satisfied with her career if she retired tomorrow.
Elina Svitolina says if she thinks she can win a Grand Slam title
Speaking at her press conference ahead of her Roland Garros campaign, which gets underway tomorrow, Svitolina was discussing her chances of success at the event.
After all, having won yet another title in Rome, the Ukrainian heads to Paris as one of the new favourites to make a serious run at this Grand Slam event.
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Asked to rate her chances of ever winning a major, and how she’d feel if she retired without one, she insisted: “I think now I’m just more fine with the way my career is… it is how it is.
“Okay, if I don’t win a Slam, it’s also fine in a way. If you’re not okay with that, I think it can just eat you from inside, all the time not happy about what you do on the court.
“I think my career, even if I finish tomorrow, is okay. If something happens, I will be fine with that, and I will still be a happy person. I will live my life good if I don’t win a Slam. I just want to have this mentality now because I think when you’re younger, of course you want to win a Slam; this is the goal number one. And you are so upset and can really damage yourself mentally if you don’t succeed.”
However, despite taking this stance, Svitolina has not lost hope, and nor should she. She added: “I think for me I just want… I still believe that I can win a Grand Slam, but I’m also fine if it’s not gonna happen or if it’s not in the cards for me.”
Despite this belief, there’s an argument to say that Svitolina is at risk of a first-round exit at Roland Garros after the draw she has been dealt.
Elina Svitolina says if Gael Monfils is increasing the pressure on her Roland Garros campaign
As the wife of hometown hero Gael Monfils, it’s expected that Svitolina will see a huge swell of support from the French crowd across the next two weeks.
And, interestingly, one reporter was keen to learn whether this was increasing the pressure she felt ahead of the event.
After all, with it unlikely that the 39-year-old will go deep, there is a very tangible chance that Svitolina could actually challenge for the title.
Alas, she insisted her connection to Monfils changes nothing for her: “No, it is the same to me.
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“It doesn’t create any pressure for me. I think, of course, there are more things at stake, and sure, I feel that he is excited and nervous, with a mix of emotions. But, in a way, it is more about him than about me because his matter is one thing and mine another.
“So, I just want him to play well. I want to enjoy this last Roland Garros with him. Be there for him.”
