Elina Svitolina’s preparation for another WTA Finals comes with a new face. The Ukrainian made a new addition to her team for the season-ending tournament, but the temporary arrangement has nothing to do with a coaching split or a rift.
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Svitolina added compatriot and professional tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky to her team as her coach, Andrew Bettles will be absent during that time. But he has a much happier reason for missing the event.
“Andy Bettles’ wife is pregnant,” Svitolina explained in an exclusive interview with Ukrainian Tennis. “Back at Roland Garros, he told me there was a chance she would give birth towards the end of the season, so there was a possibility he wouldn’t be able to be here with me. And that’s exactly what happened, as she’s due to give birth this week.”
Rather than bring in someone unfamiliar, Svitolina immediately considered Stakhovsky. The two have known each other for years and regularly train together whenever she returns to Ukraine. She also said, “He’s already been helping me anyway.”
Stakhovsky has already joined Svitolina on the practice court in Indian Wells. He reportedly led her training session and even hit with her ahead of the tournament. Their previous collaboration with the Ukrainian national team at the Billie Jean King Cup also helped him become more familiar with the players and their games.
“For me, it was a very easy decision. It was also great that we had the opportunity to work together at the Billie Jean King Cup. He got to see how different players compete and became more involved in tennis again. So it was an easy choice for me, and I’m happy he agreed to help me this week,” Svitolina said.
Stakhovsky is not an unfamiliar name in Ukrainian tennis. The former professional reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 31 in September 2010 and collected four ATP singles titles during his playing career. However, his most memorable achievement came at Wimbledon in 2013, when he stunned defending champion Roger Federer in the second round.
Federer had won the previous seven Wimbledon titles he contested, but Stakhovsky produced a remarkable performance to defeat the Swiss 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5, 7-6(5). The victory ended Federer’s extraordinary run of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances.
Stakhovsky eventually brought his professional playing career to an end in early 2022. His life then took a completely different direction after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He joined the country’s Defense Forces and served for approximately four years.
According to the Ukrainian reports, Stakhovsky was demobilized in September 2026 after serving with the Security Service of Ukraine’s special unit Alpha. His return to the tennis environment now offers him an opportunity to contribute to the sport again
Svitolina Faces Sabalenka and Andreeva in Tough WTA Finals Group
Svitolina will have little time to settle into her temporary coaching arrangement because she faces a demanding challenge at Indian Wells. The Ukrainian returns to the WTA Finals for the first time since 2019 after putting together one of the strongest seasons of her career.
She has collected two titles in 2026, winning the Auckland tournament in January before lifting the trophy in Rome in May. She also reached the Australian Open semifinals, the Dubai final, and the semifinals at Indian Wells. According to the WTA’s official season preview, she enters the tournament with a 46-14 record and two titles.
Her previous success at the season-ending championship offers another reason for optimism. Svitolina won the WTA Finals in 2018 after defeating Sloane Stephens in the championship match. She went unbeaten throughout that campaign and returned to the final in 2019, although Ashleigh Barty stopped her from claiming a second consecutive title.
Seven years after her last appearance, Svitolina now has another opportunity to compete for the prestigious trophy. However, her group will not make the task easy. She has been drawn alongside world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, and Karolina Muchova in Group 2.
Sabalenka will be a particularly difficult opponent after an impressive season, whereas Andreeva arrives as one of the younger stars in the field. Muchova also presents a serious challenge after winning titles in Doha and Bad Homburg.
The top two players from each group will advance to the semifinals, so Svitolina will need consistent performances throughout the round-robin stage to keep her title hopes alive.