Chinese tennis star Wu Yibing on his journey to ATP Tour
Elina Svitolina plans to take a break from tennis after her US Open dream was ended in the third round, the Ukrainian has revealed. Despite taking a one-set lead against Jessica Pegula, the world No 3 proved too hot to handle, fighting back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
And after the match, 26th seed Svitolina explained how she was not in the best shape she can be in order to take on the very best players in the game.
She said: “I am satisfied with my level of play, but right now, I want to take a break to rejuvenate physically and come back stronger. When I am in peak physical condition, I can challenge the top tennis players, and my ranking will improve.”
The 28-year-old defeated Anna Lena Friedsam and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Flushing Meadows before meeting her match in the form of Pegula at the third-round stage.
Svitolina suffered a 6-2, 6-2 first-round exit in the Canadian Open against Danielle Collins and decided to sit out the Cincinnati Open to ensure that she arrived in New York sharp.
But with her Grand Slam quest ended before the start of the second week, she will now seek some rest and recuperation away from the tour, although she is not yet sure exactly how long that will be for.
She added: “I’m not sure exactly how much time I’ll require. I’ll follow the doctors’ recommendations. I’ll consult with my team and consider my next steps.
“I intend to take some time for recovery, and I haven’t seen my daughter in a while, so I’m looking forward to returning home.”
Svitolina, who is married to French tennis player Gael Monfils, only returned to the tour in April after taking a year-long maternity break. But the former world No 3 soon started racking up the ranking points, winning the Estrasburgo Open before reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open.
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She then went on to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon, beating Venus Williams and world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the process.
However, after a solid half-season, it looks like the Ukrainian has played her last match of the year as she turns her attention to returning stronger in 2024.
Svitolina is not the only new mum to have made a WTA comeback this year. Former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki returned to the sport at Flushing Meadows, performing credibly before losing 3-6, 6-3, 1-6 to Coco Gauff in the Round of 16.
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