Elina Svitolina has undergone foot surgery to fix an issue that has been hampering her for quite some time and she hopes everything goes right and she returns to being fully healthy ahead of the 2025 season.
After launching a very strong post-pregnancy return in 2023 April, the Ukrainian didn't play any tournaments after last year's US Open because of an ankle injury. This year, it is again the same as the 30-year-old's loss to Coco Gauff in the third round at Flushing Meadows turned out to be her last match of the year.
However, this time the difference is that world No. 28 Svitolina didn't want to simply rest and do some treatment but decided to surgically repair the damage in her foot. Since it was something bothered the 17-time WTA champion over a longer period, she probably realized that going under the knife was the only solution to fully resolving the issue.
"Hey everyone. So unfortunately my 2024 season is now in the history books, as I have had surgery on my foot today to correct a long-standing issue that I have been trying to manage throughout this year. This is the same issue that ended my season in 2023 and has hampered me for most of 2024. Its become harder to manage and has been impacting me more and more, not just with regard to tennis and training but in my everyday life too," Svitolina wrote on Instagram.
"BUT NOW I am excited for the opportunity to focus on my recovery and come back even stronger than before. I am determined to do whatever it takes to get back on the court and compete at the highest level. I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement during this challenging time. Your love and positivity mean the world to me, and Im looking forward to seeing you all at the courts in 2025."
A promising start turned into a very rough year for Svitolina...
Following a very strong comeback in 2023, the Ukrainian tennis star entered the 2024 season hoping to continue her rise and try to win a maiden Grand Slam title. And at the start of the year, she was playing extremely well after reaching the Auckland final and then easily making the Australian Open round-of-16.
Since the former world No. 5 was in great form and the draw opened up pretty nicely, there was definitely a sense that Svitolina could make a splash at Melbourne Park. But then out of the blue, the 30-year-old was hit with a sudden back injury at the start of her match against Linda Noskova and retired in tears just three games into their match.
After the injury, the 2023 Wimbledon semifinalist was out for a month - and when she returned - she was struggling to regain her form and wasn't doing particularly well.
The back injury basically ruined Svitolina's season
Following her Australian Open retirement, the 17-time WTA champion was evidently both shocked and heartbroken. Speaking wit reporters, she admitted that she was blindsided by the injury and that her back got "completely locked" in the very first game of the match against Noskova.
"Yeah, I got a spasm, or I don't know exactly what it is, but like shooting pain in the first game, the last two points. Yeah, couldn't do anything. Completely locked my back. Just very sad, of course, so yeah," Svitolina said after her promising run in Melbourne ended in a devastating way.
While the Ukrainian was able to play again in a month, it didn't mean that she was fully healthy or feeling well. And that's when she started questioning herself and having doubts.
I couldnt practice for more than an hour. I was asking myself, Why am I doing this? Im not 100%. My game is about physicality, so if I dont have my strength, theres no point to play. So really, I had big doubts," she recently told tennis.com.
In the same interview, the former world No. 5 also revealed that the back injury led to some other injuries in the lower part of her body.
Every single day for six months, I had pain in my back and my hip, on top of pains here and there. And it was all because of the back injury that happened. The back is obviously the major part of everything," the 30-year-old recounted.
Since the next season starts in three and a half months, Svitolina has a lot of time to rehab and recover from her surgery and hopefully return to being fully healthy.
