“I told her I hope she wins the title” – Swiatek praises triumphant Svitolina
Iga Swiatek will be backing Elina Svitolina to win a maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon
Iga Swiatek and Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon in 2023 (Action Plus/Panoramic)
After the controversy that sprang up around Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka’s unsurprising failure to shake hands at the end of their fourth-round match, the embrace at the net on Tuesday was a sharp contrast.
Svitolina and defeated world No 1 Iga Swiatek hugged at the end of their quarter-final, with the Ukrainian quickly paying tribute in her post-match interview to her opponent’s constant support for her country following Russia’s invasion.
“Iga is not only a great champion but an unbelievable person,” Svitolina said.
And in her press conference, Swiatek revealed what she had said to her rival.
“I think overall, looking at her career, having [a] Grand Slam title would be pretty amazing for her,” she said. “She’s coming back after becoming a mother.
“I’ll root for her, especially because we like each other as people. I told her on the net that I hope she win this tournament.
“You know how it is in tennis: it’s tough to win a Grand Slam. I know that for sure she wants it really bad. So I will be rooting for her, yeah.”
Swiatek: I’ve always played against my friends
Svitolina had also mentioned that her affection and respect for Swiatek could have made it tricky to face her in such an important match – but the Pole was quick to dismiss any idea that either of them were not fully focused on beating the other.
“Since I was really, like, 13, I played against my best friends sometimes. I managed to kind of just focus on tennis and not think about that.
“I’m leaving everything that is going on usually off court outside of the match. I think Elina did that, as well. So I played the same kind of tennis. I was focused the same way. I wouldn’t say it had impact on me.”
