Elina Svitolina has had a great 2026 season so far. She’s won the Auckland Open and the Italian Open, and has also reached the quarter-finals at both majors this year. As she now prepares for Wimbledon, her good form has continued, with the Ukrainian making her way into the quarter-finals of the Berlin Tennis Open by beating Eva Lys. However, in the broader context, the results of this season are a reflection of the work she has put in over the last few years, during which she has enjoyed a tremendous second wind in her career since returning from childbirth in 2023. After her over Lys, Svitolina spoke about how the words of a former four-time Grand Slam champion inspired her.

“No, actually, but I saw she was happy with the way I was coming back. She gave an interview about me… it was cool”, Svitolina said about former World No. 1 Kim Clijsters. “It was nice to have some inspiration from her. She’s such a legend. Winning Grand Slams after you become a mom is very special”.

Clijsters, following Svitolina’s emphatic return to tennis in 2023, admitted she was not surprised by how well the Ukrainian was playing. After Svitolina reached the quarterfinals of the French Open that year, Clijsters said that being a mother could actually serve as a positive distraction, helping take some of the pressure off tennis.

“That was a huge benefit for me to be able to kind of not think about tennis, if you want to win a grand slam for whatever, three weeks in a row, constantly being focused on tennis all the time,” she said as per nine.com.au. “So to be able to switch off and focus on your family and whatever it is – playing with your baby or going for walks, or it’s nice to be able to have that combination and to find that balance.

Clijsters remains the ultimate benchmark for WTA players making comebacks after maternity leave, as the Belgian legend won three of her four Grand Slam titles after coming out of retirement in 2009. Svitolina has done her best to follow Clijsters’ example.

She has reached six finals since her comeback, winning four titles, including the biggest of her career in Rome this year, a WTA 1000 event. She has compiled a 35-8 win-loss record this season, which has helped her break back into the Top 10, where she currently sits at No. 8. Her Grand Slam performances since returning from maternity leave include five quarterfinal appearances and two semifinal runs. What Clijsters started has been taken up by many women in the sport, including Svitolina.

Post her childbirth, American Serena Williams reached four Major finals. Although Williams did not win any of the finals, her performances were nothing short of legendary, which is why her current comeback at the age of 44 has gotten all fans waiting with bated breath for a miraculous run. Even the likes of Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic have made successful returns to the sport after childbirth.

Osaka had a runner-up finish at the Canadian Open in 2025 and a semifinal run at the US Open the same year, whereas Bencic won the title in Abu Dhabi and reached the Wimbledon semifinals last year. Svitolina, meanwhile, could be in for something even more special. And if her record this season shows one thing above all else, it is consistency. A big reason behind that is the support system she has around her, which includes her husband, former World No. 6 Gaël Monfils.

Kim Clijsters Points Out Improvements Elina Svitolina Has Made With the Help of Her Husband, Gael Monfils

After Svitolina won her title in Rome, Clijsters was all praise for the Ukrainian player, while pointing out the various improvements she has made to her game. While analyzing the game, she highlighted the role of Svitolina’s husband, Monfils, not only as emotional support from the stands but also as someone who helped Svitolina make technical adjustments to her forehand.

“I know Gael is also her husband. I’m sure having his support, his voice of reason, as a player, also helps a lot”, said Clijsters on her podcast Love All. “She hits with him a lot, we’ve seen videos online of them hitting together, to have that kind of intensity, and speed coming at you from a male player is also helping her when she’s playing players that hit the balls and like a Coco [Gauff] with more topspin”.

Clijsters’s observations are on point as Svitolina has had the upper hand over heavy topspin users like Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek. Svitolina has beaten Gauff three times this season, including at the Australian Open, in Dubai, and in the Italian Open final. Against Swiatek, the Ukrainian has triumphed on courts like Indian Wells and Rome, which are slower and favor the Pole’s topspin style.

Svitolina has made a smooth transition on the grass as well, winning her matches against Anna Kalinskaya and Lys at the Berlin Open, with the Ukrainian scheduled to face one of Alexandra Eala or Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.