Elina Svitolina got a walkover win when her round of 32 opponent, Paula Badosa, had to quit because of an injury, Svitolina said it wasn’t how she wanted to win.
She was up 6-4 when Badosa stopped due to a thigh problem, joining many others who’ve had to pull out of the tournament.
Svitolina smiled when asked about her next match against Belinda Bencic from Switzerland.
They’ve both been in the news lately for getting back into the top 10 after having kids.
So, on Tuesday, these two moms will face off in the round of 16 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
We practised a couple of days ago, so we know each other’s game pretty well. We have similar stories, being mothers coming back to tennis, which is cool, Svitolina said.
It’ll be a good test for both of us. She’s playing great right now, so I need to play my best.
Svitolina, who has won in Dubai twice before, is coming off a semifinal showing at the Australian Open.
She’s married to Gael Monfils, also a tennis player from France, and talked about how it is to balance being a mom and playing tennis.
It’s a lot. Having our daughter, Skai, is amazing, but it takes time to get used to, she said.
Your body changes, too. When I started working out again, it took a while to get back into my routine and feel ready for matches. It’s all about getting used to the changes and getting back to my best.”