Eight days into one of the most memorable and chaotic weeks of Grand Slam tennis in recent memory, one player’s progress has been noticeably stress-free.
DRAW: Australian Open 2024 women’s singles
As the fourth round gets under way, Elina Svitolina is one of only seven seeds remaining in the women’s draw, having raced through her first three matches with alarming speed and efficiency.
While easing past Taylah Preston, Victoriya Tomova and on Saturday night Victorija Golubic, the 19th seed from Ukraine has dropped just 13 games and spent a little over three hours on court. The closest set she has played was 6-3 and her longest match just 65 minutes.
The former world No.3’s smooth passage means she has reached at least the last 16 at three of the four majors she has played since her return from a year-long maternity break during which she gave birth to daughter Skai in October 2022.
At Roland-Garros last spring she appeared in the quarter-finals just a few weeks after her first tournament back in Charleston, and at Wimbledon she went one better, beating world No.1 Iga Swiatek en route to the last four.
“I'm happy that I didn't spend too much energy on the first three rounds,” the 29-year-old. “I was playing really well, moving good. Happy with the tennis I've been showing here in Melbourne.”
Even the challenges of balancing family life and tournament tennis – she is married to French ATP star Gael Monfils – don’t appear to cause too much anxiety. Asked earlier in the week which part of the day she prefers to play, she didn’t seem to mind.
“Either way works,” Svitolina said. “If I'm playing at night I'm gonna go in the morning to see [Skai]. If I'm playing in the morning… I’m going to see her this afternoon. So, we just have to adjust.
“I'm so happy that we decided to bring her here with us. We spend so much nice time and really enjoy time together, the weather is super nice
“So it is nice to have her, because when you are leaving for a very long time, it's difficult I think mentally.”
In-form, fresh and happy on and off court, there will be many looking at her Grand Slam pedigree wondering how far she can go. As a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist (two at Wimbledon and another in New York) she is one of the more experienced players at this level still left in the tournament.
While both of her journeys deep into the draws in Paris and London last year were emotionally draining, Svitolina appears to be better placed mentally and physically this time around.
Another two wins and she would go beyond her best effort in Melbourne when she reached back-to-back quarterfinals in 2018-19.
“When I was coming back – Roland-Garros, Wimbledon - there were lots of things going on,” she admitted.
“Every match was a big fight. I was probably not the favourite in those matches, because coming back, no one knows what to expect.
“But here now I think more people expect me to be the same old Elina making the second week. I think also with my game, because I've been winning the matches quite confident, I think people are now, like, expecting me to be easier in the second week.
“I have little bit different now perspectives and everything. I just take every opportunity as I can to play my best.”
If she’d allowed herself a look at the draw she might have been expecting another meeting with Swiatek, but after the world No.1 suffered a surprise defeat to world No.50 Linda Noskova in the third round, the Ukrainian will now play the Czech teenager instead for a place in the last eight.
Even after the quality of the tennis Noskova produced to shock the Polish four-time Grand Slam champion, Svitolina is experienced enough to know that backing up that kind of result isn’t always easy.
“She's a young player, but beating world No.1 puts a little bit more pressure on her,” Svitolina said.
“I feel like she would be the favourite, so I have really nothing to lose. I'm looking forward to it."