Former world number 3 Elina Svitolina has admitted she hasn’t touched a racket for seven months after announcing her break from tennis and has also revealed she intends to return sometime in the summer. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Initially, Svitolina tried to compete even though she was going through one of the most difficult periods of her life. But after Miami, Svitolina announced an indefinite break from tennis. “I didn’t touch a racket for seven months.
I wanted to disconnect from tennis. Maybe I had too much because of what happened at the end of February and all the nerves and all the pressure. The tournaments I played were probably too much for me mentally, so I was very happy to completely switch off.
Right now, for me, the goal is to come back, but I’m sure I won’t regret taking this time off,» Svitolina said, quoted in The New York Times.
Svitolina aims to return to action during the summer
Shortly after announcing an indefinite hiatus from tennis, Svitolina also announced that she and her husband, Gael Monfils, were expecting their first child.
In October, Svitolina and Monfils welcomed a baby girl, Skai. If everything goes according to plan, we will see Svitolina in action again during the summer. “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 go back on tour, because right now tennis is very physical. All of your muscle groups need to be ready and after not playing for over seven months and not doing much after pregnancy, of course your body is different now.
And I really have to break everything down into small pieces to gather all the strength in my body, which I will need if I want to get back on top,» revealed Svitolina.
