Svitolina plays as 'home' in Indian Wells

Fernando Murciego | 12 Mar 2025 | 07.25

Elina Svitolina, a machine for defeating local tennis players in Indian Wells. Source: Getty

Streaming WTA Ostrava live tennis

🎾 Elina Avanesyan vs Moyuka Uchijima

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The Indian Wells draw wanted Elina Svitolina to face the world every day she steps on the court. At least, that's what she thought when she saw her first opponent was Ashlyn Krueger, second Danielle Collins, and third Jessica Pegula. In other words, three American players. All of them, by the way, defeated by the player from Odesa. Optimal performance from the former world number 3, who explained in a press conference how she is managing these days when the war in her country is making headlines again, especially after what happened between Zelenski and Trump in their famous meeting. Her record of 21 WTA 1000 quarterfinals could have been the main topic, but with Elina, we know that other non-sports topics always come up.

Victory against Pegula

“It was definitely not easy to win today with all the adverse conditions, especially with the rain issue having to stop and start continuously. I might have warmed up like ten times today. It's never easy to have to stop, but everyone has had to go through the same conditions, so you just have to stay out there and adjust as you can. Overall, I am very happy with my performance.”

The state of her foot

“It has been quite difficult to get here, but we are treating the foot daily. It was a pain I struggled with for months, not being able to step at all, I remember it being swollen for many weeks, it truly was a painful experience. Regarding the return to the courts, of course, I expected to have some discomfort, but I worked hard in the gym before coming back, it was important to gain strength. I feel that I did well with my team to put in so much work, to make the foot secure and strong when playing these tournaments.”

Ukraine's situation with the USA

“Since that meeting in the Oval Office, I have received a lot of support messages from the American people, as well as many people here when I arrived at the tournament, they simply shared their love and support to all Ukrainians watching us from home, that was my personal experience. It is important to acknowledge all the local support I have received here considering that I have faced three American girls, one after another. It's incredible, something really special to achieve considering all the stress Ukrainians are going through right now.”

Dealing with stress

“We are all human, we get used to the situations, the war has been going on for over three years now. Right now, I try to divide my time between watching the news and checking it a couple of times a day, especially now when it seems there are news to come. There is time for that and also for tennis, for training and recovery, or simply to disconnect from everything. There is also time for family, I have my daughter here, Gael is also here, sometimes it's nice to disconnect from all that. However, I only manage to disconnect from the issue for a few hours a day, but that makes me refreshed and with more energy when it comes to performing, because I feel I need to play well. I feel it's something I try to do for my country. I worked with a psychologist and she helped me plan the things I need to prioritize, the importance of each moment.”

The example of Madison Keys

“Madison did an incredible job winning the Australian Open. It was a really special moment for her, I think she could have won it earlier too, because she always had that great game, always played big matches. It's very deserved, for me, it shows that you need to keep working and finding those opportunities, being there at the exact moment to seize them. She played incredible tennis, showed that if you work hard and are there, you can be the one lifting the trophy.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Svitolina juega de ‘local’ en Indian Wells