“A lot of weight on your shoulders” – Elina Svitolina makes honest admission about balancing motherhood & her tennis career

June 17, 2025

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Elina Svitolina recently spoke about being a mother and pursuing her tennis career at the same time. The Ukrainian tennis player gave birth to her daughter, Skai, in October 2022, a year after getting married to Gael Monfils on July 16, 2021.

Svitolina took a hiatus of six months after giving birth and made a comeback in April 2023 by competing at the Charleston Open on the WTA Tour. She was last seen in action at the French Open, where she bested Jasmine Paolini to qualify for the quarter-final round, where she faced off against Iga Swiatek. However, the Ukrainian player couldn’t overpower the Pole, who claimed a 6-1, 7-5 victory, booking her spot in the semi-finals.

Days after this upset, Svitolina sat for a conversation with Adidas, where she spoke about various aspects of her life, including how it has been for her to balance motherhood and tennis together. Revealing that there is 'a lot of weight' on her shoulders, she said:

"After giving birth, it was really important for me to give myself time, It's not easy to be a professional player already, but then when you have a new family, it's something different. It gives you a lot of joy. Of course, a lot of weight on your shoulders. Just try to enjoy on the court, off the court and just go for it," said Elina Svitolina.

Elina Svitolina opened up about not wanting to play as long as her husband, Gael Monfils' career graph

Elina Svitolina's French Open journey ended on June 3 after being bested by Iga Swiatek. During the post-match press conference, she was asked whether she would be associated with the sport and pursue titles on the WTA Tour until she reaches her husband's age of 38.

Replying with an immediate 'No,' the 30-year-old opened up about wanting a bigger family in the future. Talking about having a happy retirement, she said:

"No… I wouldn’t want to play that long. Because obviously, I want to have more kids. I want to just have a happy retirement and not play that much. For me, being on the tour for so many years, it can sometimes be difficult. It can be lonely. Sometimes it can have tough moments," said Elina Svitolina.

She added:

"I have so many things outside of tennis. For me, I will be fine to stop earlier than Gael’s age now."

Elina Svitolina started her 2025 season by competing at the Australian Open, where she fell short of advancing further than the quarterfinal round after being bested by Madison Keys with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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