‘My main goal is to be No 1’: Elina Svitolina arrives in Dubai ‘motivated’ to continue rise

Elina Svitolina is seeded sixth for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Stanley Chou / Getty Images

Elina Svitolina is on the verge of breaking into the world top 10, and is the sixth seed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this week. The Ukrainian has her sights set on reaching the very top.

High on motivation

“My main goal is to be No 1 in the world,” Svitolina, 22, said after Saturday’s draw in Dubai. “So I am always motivated to win tournaments, to win more titles. This year, I have won one [in Taipei City] and now I am looking forward to the rest of 2017. I have worked really hard during the pre-season and so, while I know it’s going to be tough, I am looking forward to the challenges.”

Wins over No 1s

A semi-finalist in Dubai last year, Svitolina knocked world No 1 Serena Williams out of the Rio Olympics last year. In Brisbane earlier this year, she scored another win over then No 1, Angelique Kerber. “It gives me extra motivation and confidence at the same time,” she said. “I try to analyse all the time all the matches I play, take the good things and work on the things that didn’t work.”

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Learning from the masters

“They have been on the tour for many years, so they have lots of experience and they are playing very smart,” Svitolina said about the two 35-year-old Australian Open champions, Williams and Roger Federer. “Physically, they are still very, very strong. So I think, for us younger players, we need some more time and we need to adopt new things. It just takes a little bit of time.”

Arriving early in Dubai

“I am really excited for this tournament, for this week,” said Svitolina, who has made a steady rise up the charts since 2013. “I have been here since Tuesday, so I have had some time to recover after the Fed Cup and to get ready. It’s going to be a very tough week for everyone. There are lots of good players. So it’s going to be very exciting for Dubai and for the fans.”

Courting success

“I came here a bit earlier just to prepare because the courts here, with the heat, it’s very different, and when it’s a bit cooler, it’s also very different,” said Svitolina, who has been given a first-round bye along with the other top eight seeds. “So here, it’s a bit special but we will see. I will try to adapt very quickly.”

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