Svitolina launched her post-pregnancy comeback last year, while Osaka did it at the start of this year.
Published August 8, 2024 05:35
by Dzevad Mesic
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Elina Svitolina explains challenges she, Naomi Osaka faced in post-pregnancy return
© Getty Images Sport – Vaughn Ridley
Elina Svitolina fully agrees with Naomi Osaka that there are several challenges when returning from maternity leave as the Ukrainian tennis star describes the post-pregnancy comeback as “a process” where physical but also mental things need to fall into place once again.
After announcing her pregnancy in the spring of 2022, Svitolina – now 29 years old – took a maternity leave before playing her first tournament in 13 months in 2023 April.
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In her first couple of tournaments – and two of them came on the ITF level – former world No. 3 Svitolina lost very early. But then two months into her comeback, Svitolina started regaining her form and it resulted in her winning Strasbourg, as well as making the French Open quarterfinal and her first Wimbledon semifinal.
While Svitolina’s post-pregnancy return was one of the best stories of the 2023 season, Osaka was on her own maternity leave. And at the start of 2024, the Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion also launched her post-pregnancy comeback. And just like Svitolina, Osaka also started her comeback by picking up a few early losses.
While Osaka is now looking better than at the start of the year, she hasn’t yet gotten where she wants to be. And in Toronto, the 26-year-old Japanese revealed that she needed some time to “be comfortable in my body again” and that just regaining foot speed was so tough.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka© Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Svitolina: It’s a process… From the game, to focus…
“it was all a process of months and months to get back into the good form. Then, of course, match form is very different, because you can be really feeling good on the practice court, but then when you have to go to play a match or a tournament, a big tournament, a lot of stress, a lot of pressure, a lot of, you know, different feelings are in your body, in your head,” Svitolina explained.
“This is what was the toughest for me personally, because I was feeling really well on the practice court, and then it took me some time to be focused from the start until the end to regain the focus. We are playing at such a high level and, you know, every player is really difficult, and you need to keep the focus for two hours, for three hours in tough matches.
“For me, this was a big challenge, and, yeah, foot work, everything else is also the part of this. Yeah, at one moment I feel like it just clicks and you feel much better, you don’t think about it anymore because you are just one of the tennis players competing and trying to win a tournament.”
Elina Svitolina
Elina Svitolina© Getty Images Sport – Vaughn Ridley
Also, Svitolina confirmed that she talks with fellow WTA moms Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki occasionally and noted that they “push each other” to do well and be an inspiration and show that it is possible for a woman to make a strong return to pro tennis after welcoming a kid.
Svitolina also confirms big news in Toronto
A couple of days after losing to Elena Rybakina in the Wimbledon quarterfinal, Svitolina decided to end things with coach Raemon Sluiter – who started working with her when she returned to tennis last year.
On Tuesday, Svitolina destroyed Shelby Rogers 6-0 6-2 in the Toronto first round. While the Ukrainian was playing outstanding throughout the match, one other thing was also drawing major attention – coach Andrew Bettles was spotted in her box.
If you remember well, Svitolina established herself as a WTA star with Bettles on her side as the two worked together for five years before they went their separate ways in late 2021. During their first tenure, Svitolina claimed 11 titles – made two Slam semifinals – and also won an Olympic bronze.
When asked if she and Battles are back as a team, Svitolina confirmed it.
“Yes, we are, I mean, we are trying again (smiling.) Yeah, it’s great to have him back on the team. It was very different, I think it was, I don’t know, three or four years ago, even more maybe, maybe four, that we worked together, but we worked for a long time, so we have great memories together,” Svitolina said.
“We had great five years with a lot of success, so when I stopped with Raemon it was kind of an easy decision for me, because I know him very well, we stayed friends during the years that we didn’t work. Now, in the middle of the season, it’s not easy to switch, so that’s why, yeah, we just had a chat with Andy and decided to try again.”
Andrew Bettles and Gael Monfils
Andrew Bettles and Gael Monfils© Getty Images Sport – Yong Teck Lim
In the Toronto second round, Svitolina plays against fellow Ukrainian and No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk.
Elina SvitolinaNaomi Osaka
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