Mental clarity, major results: Svitolina powers into third round with clinical win over Klimovicova
Moving to a perfect 7-0 in 2026, the Ukrainian veteran neutralised the firepower of rising talent Linda Klimovicova 7-5, 6-1 to reach her 11th Australian Open third round.
Elina Svitolina, 2026 | © Photosport / PsNewz
Elina Svitolina maintained her flawless early-season form on Wednesday, defeating 21-year-old Czech talent Linda Klimovicova 7-5, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Australian Open. The victory extends Svitolina’s undefeated start to 2026, moving her to a 7-0 record and ensuring her streak of reaching at least the round of 32 in Melbourne remains intact, having not lost a second-round match at this tournament since 2016.
The contest proved to be a tale of two sets, with the Ukrainian veteran relying on her experience to navigate a high-quality opening frame against an opponent she had never faced. “I was expecting kind of a tough first set and then was expecting her to play well,” Svitolina said. “Young players, they come out always firing winners and really motivated. You need to be tough there and try to use the experience and try to stay in the match, try to dig deep and try to just win that first set. Then it gets a bit easier if you play well.”
Svitolina : “If I would push myself to finish 2025…”
Svitolina attribute her clinical performance and physical resilience to a decision made late in 2025 to stop competing entirely. After struggling with burnout, she took an extended break that she believes saved her current campaign. “If I would push myself to finish the year, really force myself, I don’t think I would start the season even playing in Australia, because I would be really dead mentally,” she admitted. “I can see now that I’m more refreshed. I’m ready to face difficult situations in the matches. When I face difficult situations, I’m ready to accept that sometimes things are not going your way, and you have to fight.”
Despite the pressure of the draw and the emotional weight of the tournament, Svitolina noted that her current mental state allows her to push her physical limits without the fear of injury that plagued her last autumn. “Physically I’m not even sure that it would be a good option for me [to have continued in 2025], because I might get injured in this kind of mental state,” she explained. “For me, it was important to just step back. This was the right choice that I did.”
