Calm and confident, Svitolina at ease on chances

Fresh from thwarting three of the top four seeds – all three multi-Slam champions – in Rome, Elina Svitolina’s name is being circled among the Roland-Garros favourites with good reason this year.

Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff all succumbed in three sets in one of the 31-year-old’s most inspired runs, which landed her third Rome trophy.

Svitolina has never felt more confident - heading into her 13th campaign in Paris, where five times she has reached the quarterfinals.

➡️ Roland-Garros 2026 women's singles draw

“I think it's still early to say, because I need to start the tournament well,” Svitolina said. “But now I'm more calm, I would say, because at that time eight years ago, it was more of, OK, now I need to win Roland-Garros. That was kind of the goal. Now I'm more calm about it.

“Of course, I feel like I'm in good form, but for me it's all about trying to enjoy this journey and not put too much pressure on myself and not just think too much about what can happen. It's just all about preparation, mental preparation, and physical preparation.

“Now, I’ve always been saying physicality and really [being] mentally fresh are the goals, because when I'm ready to fight, when I'm ready to be physically strong on the court, I can play good tennis.”

Since 2000, a woman has triumphed in Rome and Paris back-to-back on only five occasions, but Swiatek has done it twice in the past four years.

While determined to run her own race and put Rome firmly in the rear-view mirror, the calibre of clay-court champions Svitolina has recently beaten will not to be hastily forgotten.

A more aggressive game plan, having levelled up her forehand in particular, and at peak fitness, the Ukrainian has worked on refocusing during pressure moments in big matches.

That kind of muscle memory could serve her well for the season’s second major, where she will also be on hand to support husband Gael Monfils in his swansong Paris tilt.

While form, fitness and confidence have aligned, experience has brought a degree of acceptance.

“I think now I'm just more fine with the way that my career, it is how it is. It's OK if I don't win a Slam,” she said. “It's also fine, in a way, because if you're not OK with that, I think you can just eat yourself from inside and all the time not happy about what you do on the court.

“I think my career, even if I finish tomorrow, it’s OK. And if something happens, I will be fine with that, and I'll be still a happy person and will live my life good if I don't win a Slam.”

“So I just want to have this mentality now, because I think when you're younger, of course you want to win a Slam, this is the goal, No.1, and you are so upset and can really damage yourself mentally if you don't succeed.”

The seventh seed was not casting an eye any further than her opening hurdle, Anna Bondar, the Hungarian who had her number as recently as Madrid earlier this month.

Even if she can cut a path to the second week for the eighth time, that bigger-picture calmness remains.

“I think I still believe that I can win a Grand Slam,” she said. “But I'm also fine if it's not gonna happen or if it's not in the cards for me.”

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