'The ultimate goal is to win a Grand Slam': Elina Svitolina still dreaming big despite falling to Iga Swiatek

Elina Svitolina remains highly optimistic about her WTA Tour aspirations despite her quarterfinal loss to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros. The Ukrainian's goal is still to win a major in her career and reach the top of the rankings, though she acknowledges the need to go "step by step."

At 30 years old, she's one of the most experienced players at the top of the rankings. Alongside Jessica Pegula (No. 3) and Madison Keys (No. 8), she's one of only three players over 30 in the top 25. Svitolina first reached the top 15 in 2015 and has been a prominent figure on Tour ever since.

For few would it have been a surprise to see Svitolina make another deep run at a Grand Slam. She has 13 appearances in major quarterfinals, including in three of her last four Grand Slam appearances. Since her return from pregnancy in 2023, she holds a 31-9 record in Slam main draws, and this Roland Garros marked her 5th quarterfinal appearance at the tournament.

She fell to Iga Swiatek 1-6, 5-7 this Tuesday, exiting a major in the second week once again. However, Svitolina acknowledged in her press conference that she continues to dream of reaching even higher than she has throughout her career. "Of course this is not my end goal," she said. "The ultimate goal is to win a Grand Slam… to be at the top of the WTA rankings. But I try to take it step by step. Try to take my time."

"It’s important for me to just sometimes sit and realize how much I've done… how much work I've done. Coming back from pregnancy is not an an easy task already. Sometimes I just want to sit, to relax, & tap myself on the shoulder and say, ‘Okay, you are in a good spot, you are doing well. There is not so many people who have done that before. And you are on a good path. So just continue working and continue doing your thing… and good things are coming your way.’

"I feel that I have a good chance to play good tennis and to challenge the top players for titles and some tough matches. I have this belief. I want to continue working. Otherwise I wouldn't be here playing and competing. I would be just sitting home and enjoying my retirement."

The Ukrainian remains close to the top 10, despite not playing as many tournaments as she did prior to her pregnancy. In fact, she missed all tournaments after the US Open in 2024, giving her rivals an advantage in terms of points accumulated. Nevertheless, she will finish the tournament as world No. 13 and will return to the courts in a couple of weeks at the WTA 500 Berlin Ladies Open in the grass-court swing.