Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina wins 1st title in 2 years at Rouen tournament

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina won her first title in nearly two years on April 20 at the WTA 250 Open Capfinances Rouen Metropole.

Svitolina, a celebrated Ukrainian athlete originally from Odesa, was chosen as one of the Ukraine’s two flag bearers at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Svitolina defeated Serbian tennis player Olga Danilova 6-4, 7-6(8) in a close match lasting one hour and 58 minutes at the Rouen final on April 20. The win marks Svitolina’s 18th WTA title overall and her first in nearly two years.

The Ukrainian athlete entered Rouen as the top-seeded player and did not lose a single set throughout the tournament.

Svitolina won her last title in May 2023, less than two months after returning from maternity leave. In that final, she defeated Russian opponent Anna Blinkova.

Beyond the tennis court, Svitolina serves as an ambassador for Bring Kids Back UA, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s initiative to return Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russia. She has also advocated for the expulsion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international sporting events.