The Evolved Elina: Svitolina’s winning formula

Elina Svitolina has elevated her game in 2025, capturing some of her biggest results since returning to tennis after maternity leave.

The Ukrainian has already reached four tour-level quarterfinals this season, her equal-highest number in a single year since her return. After deep runs at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, she claimed her first title of the year in Rouen, before toppling world No. 10 Elena Rybakina on her way to the Madrid Open semifinals.

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Before she fell to world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, Svitolina was yet to drop a set for the 2025 clay-court season, gaining the attention of 2010 Roland Garros finalist Sam Stosur.

“To go through and win a title, a 250, and then now obviously beat Rybakina to be going through [in Madrid],” Stosur said on The Tennis, “these kinds of results are proving ‘I’m here, I’m still someone to be worried about’.”

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