Elina Svitolina won her first WTA title in nearly two years on Saturday, defeating Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-3 in the final at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
The 28-year-old Svitolina, who was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world, entered the week at No. 508. She is the lowest-ranked woman to win a tour title since an unranked Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open.
Svitolina and her husband, tennis player Gael Monfils, became parents in October. Svitolina returned to the tour in April.
“It’s been a long journey,” Svitolina said after the match. “I’m so happy to be back on the tour and to be able to win a title again. It’s a dream come true.”
Svitolina started the match strong, breaking Blinkova’s serve in the first game. She never looked back, winning the first set in 26 minutes.
Blinkova fought back in the second set, breaking Svitolina’s serve in the fourth game to take a 2-1 lead. But Svitolina broke back in the next game and never looked back, winning the set and the match in an hour and 13 minutes.
Svitolina’s victory is a major boost for her confidence as she heads to the French Open, which starts on Sunday. She has reached the semifinals at Roland Garros twice in her career, in 2015 and 2019.
“I’m feeling really good,” Svitolina said. “I’m playing well and I’m confident. I’m excited to see what I can do at the French Open.”
Svitolina’s victory is also a major boost for Ukraine, which is currently under attack by Russia. Svitolina has been a vocal critic of the war and has used her platform to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in her country.
“I’m so proud to be Ukrainian,” Svitolina said. “I want to do everything I can to help my country. I’m going to keep fighting on the court and I’m going to keep fighting for Ukraine.”
Svitolina’s victory is a reminder of her talent and her potential. She is a former world No. 3 and a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. She has the game to win a major title, and she will be a force to be reckoned with at the French Open.