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’.”
Projected to return to the world’s top 15 next week for the first time since her return, Svitolina is well and truly proving that she is again a consistent contender.
Acknowledging that Svitolina was once primarily known as more of a ‘counterpuncher’, Stosur credits the Ukrainian's recent ascent to becoming a more assertive and complete player.
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“We've seen Svitolina since her comeback be a little bit more aggressive as a player,” Stosur said.
“But that's really smart from Svitolina, and maybe it’s advice from Gael [Monfils] and the people around her as well to say you can’t come back exactly the same.”
With her ability to critically think and adapt her game, Svitolina has developed into an opponent who can both dictate play while also withholding pressure.
At 30 years of age, the former world No.3 still has ample time to replicate her pre-return feats like being a Grand Slam semifinalist, and thanks to her results so far this season, such heights appear within reach again.
Stosur believes Svitolina’s mental fortitude is one of her greatest strengths, meaning she cannot be discounted late in a tournament.
“She's very physical when she does play, but she's another one where she needs to grind out four, five, six, eight shots, whatever it may be. She can also do that," Stosur observed.
“She’s just tough – day in, day out.”
With her game sharper than ever and her belief growing with each victory, Svitolina is carrying great momentum through the European spring with big title chances on the horizon.
Heading into the WTA 1000 event in Rome next week, the two-time Italian Open champion will be optimistic about her chances to again contend at one of her most successful venues.
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