Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek do battle at the French Open on Tuesday – meaning friendship will have to be put aside between the two WTA stalwarts.
Reigning French Open champion Swiatek and Svitolina, who is in her fifth quarter-final at Roland Garros, have been close for numerous years.
Here, we look at the touching bond between two of the most successful players of recent times.
Svitolina’s guidance
Ranked 54th in the world, a 19-year-old Swiatek famously stunned the tennis world with her run to the French Open title back in October 2020 – the first WTA title she had ever won.
But for Svitolina, her surprise defeat to Nadia Podoroska in the quarter-final was one of the most heartbreaking losses of her career, ending one of her best chances to win an elusive major.
That did not stop the Ukrainian from acting as a guiding force for Swiatek, with Svitolina effectively ‘showing the ropes’ to her younger counterpart over the following months.
Svitolina and Swiatek were hitting partners during the build-up to the 2021 Australian Open, with interactions between other players limited due to COVID restrictions
“She’s a very nice person and a very down-to-earth girl,” Svitolina said of Swiatek shortly afterwards.
“We had a good time training together, and I think we really pushed ourselves on the court and also had a good time off it.
“This is only Iga’s third year on tour, though it’s almost like just her second year because we missed almost six months with the lockdown.
“It’s very new for her, and there are many tournaments that she didn’t play. We’ve chatted about the Asian swing, about different tournaments, different conditions. I was just sharing my experiences with her.”
Ukraine fundraiser
After winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Svitolina struggled with her form over the next few months.
The Ukrainian then had to deal with the fallout of the Russian invasion of her country, while also expecting her first child with husband Gael Monfils.
This was the year where Swiatek emerged as a dominant force in the women’s game, winning both the French and US Open titles, embarking on a 37-match win streak, and reaching world No 1.
However, that did not stop her from showing her support for both Svitolina and Ukraine.
That July, Swiatek held a fundraiser for Ukraine in Krakow, with Svitolina invited to act as the umpire for an exhibition also involving Polish tennis great Agnieszka Radwanska.
Together, Swiatek and Svitolina helped raise €500,000 for United24, the Elina Svitolina Foundation and UNICEF Poland.
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Wimbledon thriller
After welcoming her daughter Skai in October 2022, Svitolina returned to court in early 2023 – with Swiatek still a dominant world No 1 at the time.
Her comeback was extraordinary, starting with a run to the title in Strasbourg, and followed by reaching her fourth French Open quarter-final.
Svitolina’s momentum continued with an enthralling run to the last eight of Wimbledon as a wildcard, where she found herself up against Swiatek.
Swiatek was the top seed and the world No 1 and, despite saving match points in her previous match versus Belinda Bencic, was considered an overwhelming favourite for victory.
However, producing one of the performances of her career, Svitolina battled her way to a memorable 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 triumph, reaching her third and most recent Grand Slam semi-final.
The pair shared a heartwarming embrace after the match, and the Ukrainian paid Swiatek the ultimate tribute afterwards.
“Iga is not only a great champion but an unbelievable person,” Svitolina said.
Speaking after that defeat, Swiatek revealed that the pair had been able to put aside their friendship heading in.
“Since I was really, like, 13, I played against my best friends sometimes,” commented Swiatek. “I managed to kind of just focus on tennis and not think about that.
“I’m leaving everything that is going on usually off court outside of the match. I think Elina did that, as well.
“So I played the same kind of tennis. I was focused the same way. I wouldn’t say it had impact on me.”
Swiatek has won their two meetings since their SW19 showdown, prevailing at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships, and then at the Miami Open earlier this year.
Though this French Open quarter-final may prove to be a fierce battle on court, expect a heartwarming embrace once the match is done.
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