Elina Svitolina melts hearts with special moment of daughter Skai drawing ‘inspiration’ from Billie Jean King at US Open

Amid US Open preparations, Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina offered fans a glimpse into an off-field moment involving her and Gael Monfils’daughter Skai, who was born on Oct. 15, 2022. Svitolina recently took their daughter to Madame Tussauds in New York, where she looked at the statue of an inspirational figure.

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On Monday, the Ukrainian star captured Skai looking up at the wax figure of Billie Jean King holding a Wimbledon trophy aloft. Svitolina captioned the moment:

“Inspiration for many @billiejeanking 😊.”

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Elina Svitolina opens up about motherhood and life on tour

After giving birth to Skai almost three years ago, Elina Svitolina has balanced her life as a mother and as an elite professional tennis player on the tour. During an interview with Adidas Originals, she talked about the daunting "weight on her shoulders" to balance both types of full-time roles.

"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," she said. "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."

When asked if she intended to have a long career like her husband, Gael Monfils, deep into her 30s, Elina Svitolina disagreed. She spoke with honesty about her retirement plans, saying:

"No… I wouldn’t want to play that long," she said. "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."

Motherhood has impacted Elina Svitolina's approach to fitness and nutrition. She initially chose to eat less in order to stay fit, but now she no longer sees eating as punishment.

“Now I eat for performance. Food is fuel, not punishment,” she told Women’s Health Ukraine.

On the tennis front, Elina Svitolina is coming off a quarterfinal exit against Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open. She will next feature in the US Open women's singles event.

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Krutik Jain

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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