Svitolina says, “I was staying very positive”

The newly crowned queen at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore, Elina Svitolina extinguished the disbelievers around her. Svitolina outlasted the American Sloane Stephens which turned out to be her biggest win of her career.“I think I have nothing to prove anymore to anyone,” she said. “It’s definitely a good statement for myself and good boost of – I can’t say confidence, because I try to always have confidence in myself, to have it is my personality. I think for me it’s just that the third set really showed that I was mentally tough. That’s what made the difference.”

The 24-year-old Svitolina, concluded her seven matches losing streak to Petra Kvitova. Enroute to her scintillating victory in Singapore, her win against the reigning champion Caroline Wozniacki was remarkable. Additionally, her three-setters over Kiki Bertens and Stephens were filled with enthusiasm. “I was staying very positive, and I think that’s what made the difference in this week. I was able to play well and to compete,” Svitolina said.

Further, Svitolina continued, “I was clear with what I had to do on the court. I have been working really, really hard. Even though my results weren’t good, since Wimbledon, I had four or five weeks where I was on the court and in the gym working. These past five months, there have been lots of work that I was putting in. That’s why for me it was a little bit disappointing, and I was trying to stay very positive because I was giving everything on the practice court and results were, not what I expected. That’s why I was a little bit sad.”

Svitolina will be spending time on health issues and managing her team during the off-season. She will be deciding on whether to take on a full-time coach in addition to current captain Andrew Bettles. “I’m going to speak with Andy and see the best options, which coaches are available at the moment to try to work, you know, for some time. It’s a little bit easier to work during the off-season because you’re not like under crazy pressure. It’s not the same as if you start, for example, you know, in the middle of the season. I have to really think — I don’t want to take, like, just a person and then, you know, split in two weeks. So it’s a big decision,” Svitolina said.