Elina Svitolina has been among the standout players on the WTA Tour in 2026, epitomised by her superb run at the Australian Open.
Svitolina reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she knocked out fellow top 10 players Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva.
WTA number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Svitolina to reach the final, ending her dreams of a maiden Grand Slam title.
World number nine Svitolina boasts 19 titles from her fantastic career, but Grand Slam success has thus far eluded the 31-year-old.
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Elina Svitolina makes peace with potentially retiring without a Grand Slam title
Svitolina has now opened up about potentially ending her career without a major title, telling Tennis Channel: “Before, this was a very sensitive topic.
“When you’re very young and you’ve been top 3 for…a couple of years and you’re a favorite for a Grand Slam but you never make it, it’s very tough.
“It’s tough when you come close, play a couple of semifinals and have some chances, you think you can make it but then you don’t.
“But I think after giving birth and having different perspectives, I accepted this idea that I am okay to live my life after tennis and not having won a Grand Slam.
“I’ve still had a very solid career on my shoulders and I did my very best. If it happens at the end of my career, okay, amazing.
“But if not, it’s also an amazing career. I just have to accept it and after all, it’s not only about tennis at the end of the day.”
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How close has Elina Svitolina come to Grand Slam success?
Svitolina just produced her best-ever run at the Australian Open, and has now reached the semifinals of three of the four Grand Slams.
She has made the final four at Wimbledon twice and the US Open once, with five French Open quarterfinal runs to her name.
It remains to be seen if she will ever make it over the line on the biggest stage, but importantly she has made peace with the fact that it may never happen.
For now, Svitolina is clearly enjoying her tennis, impressing in the top 10 after coming back from maternity leave in 2023.
| Year | Titles |
| 2026 | Auckland |
| 2025 | Rouen |
| 2023 | Strasbourg |
| 2021 | Chicago |
| 2020 | Monterrey, Strasbourg |
| 2018 | Brisbane, Dubai, Rome, WTA Finals |
| 2017 | Taipei City, Dubai, Istanbul, Rome, Toronto |
| 2016 | Kuala Lumpur |
| 2015 | Marrakech |
| 2014 | Baku |
| 2013 | Baku |
She just lost in the Qatar Open round of 16, but her 2026 season already includes a fantastic title at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Her focus now turns to the Dubai Tennis Championships, which will also feature fellow WTA stars Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and many others.
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