Elina Svitolina tells how Gael Monfils helped her tennis comeback

Elina Svitolina admits having Gael Monfils by her aspect made it simpler for her to return again to tennis. Svitolina and Monfils welcomed their first baby in October. Svitolina, who performed her final match of the 2022 season in Miami, made her return to tennis final week in Charleston.

Whereas Svitolina was sidelined and targeted on her being pregnant, Monfils was additionally coping with damage issues because the Frenchman appeared in simply two tournaments after 2022 Miami. However after Svitolina gave beginning, she turned her give attention to preparing for a tennis comeback.

“This winter we each ready ourselves to return again and compete and it was nice as a result of we motivated one another. It is necessary to have somebody who understands your objectives,” Svitolina advised the ITF web site.

Svitolina loved her tennis return

Final week, Svitolina delivered a giant struggle earlier than dropping to Yulia Putintseva within the Charleston first spherical.

This week, Svitolina opted to compete at an ITF occasion in Chiasso, the place she clinched her first win as a mom after beating Gabriela-Elena Ruse 6-4 6-2. “The sensation of returning to the court docket in Charleston was unbelievable, I had missed it.

Chiasso is an ideal match to play good matches and regain continuity, however I’ll take the match one match at a time. Since January I’ve been again in coaching with the aim of returning as quickly as attainable and I’ve been engaged on clay for 2 months understanding that most certainly my first matches would coincide with this time of the season,” Svitolina stated.

After competing in just a few ITF occasions, Svitolina plans to play at a WTA 1000 occasion in Rome and the French Open. “I like every little thing about that match (Rome). I’ll attempt to do effectively there and at Roland Garros. [As for ranking goals], my tennis has precedence – the rating shall be a [result] of the extent I can categorical,” Svitolina stated.