She’s a relentless fighter, she’s a fierce tennis mom, and now Svitolina is a 3-time Rome champ

Rome, home to some of Elina Svitolina's finest moments in Act I of her career, proved just as fitting a stage for the first big title of her second act.

There had already been plenty to like about her return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter, Skai. But the start of the 2026 season offered even more: a title in Auckland, her first WTA 1000 final in eight years in Dubai and a long-awaited return to the Top 10.

Even more remarkable, Svitolina, 31, has also managed to redefine her game, evolving from a defense-first player into one who can still defend at a high level but now wins matches by taking the initiative.

That's how she beat Coco Gauff on Saturday to win her third Rome title -- and first in eight years. It's how she beat Iga Swiatek on Thursday and Elena Rybakina on Wednesday. Each win came in three sets, and each came from taking the fight to her opponents. Even in the toughest moments, like trailing 4-2 and facing break point in Saturday's final, she clawed back to take the opening set.

"It's just the fighting spirit that I have," Svitolina said after Saturday's final. "I try to bring it in the important moments. It's important to be locked in and try to give yourself a good chance to stay in the match. Sometimes when your opponent is playing great, you need to be ready for fighting, you need to be ready for long rallies, and you need to try to find your opportunities to break your opponent.

"For me, mental freshness is all about that -- being ready to face difficult situations. I feel I've been doing that well. It's always been important for me to do it consistently during a tournament, so I've been working very hard on that part." 

Svitolina is now the first Ukrainian player to win 20 WTA titles, "a round number," as she put it during the trophy presentation. Another round number that comes to mind is 100. That's her win percentage in clay-court finals at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level. She is now 8-0 after defeating Gauff.

Despite her record on clay, Svitolina said the numbers don't mean as much to her as the process behind them.

"I don't think too much about that," Svitolina said. "Winning Rome three times now, I think I always play quite well on the surface. I was growing up on the clay. For me, it's all about being fresh mentally, prepared physically and ready for big battles and anything that comes my way. I don't think too much about the stats or anything."

After the final, wtatennis.com sat down with Svitolina. From returning to the winner's circle in Rome as a mother to how she resets between tournaments, here's more from your 2026 Rome champion:

This is your third title in Rome and first in six years. How does this one differ from your 2017 and 2018 runs given everything that has changed in your life since?

Svitolina: It means a lot to me. Winning here as a mom, being in the Top 10, playing great tennis and beating great players, it’s a great feeling. And I hope an inspiration for moms around the world. I try to draw motivation from different things. For my country, it’s important to get these wins and to represent [Ukraine] in a decent way. So this is a special one, and I’m very happy it happened here in Rome.

Marta Kostyuk won Madrid and afterward spoke about the state of Ukrainian tennis. With you winning Rome, sweeping the clay-court WTA 1000s for Ukraine, how would you describe it right now?

Svitolina: I think it’s at a high. Having seven Top 100 players is great motivation for the upcoming generation. It’s a great example that when you work hard and dream big, you can make it happen. So it’s great for us, for Ukrainian tennis, and I’m very happy with that. The girls in the Top 100 right now are younger than me, so I’m happy I still have something to show and can win titles.

You beat Rybakina, Swiatek and Gauff, three of the top four players in the world, in three straight matches. How did you do it, and how do you reset and relieve any pressure heading into Roland Garros?

Svitolina: If you want to be at the highest level, you need to be consistent. You have many tournaments, and you need to be at your best at the big tournaments and throughout the year to be high in the rankings and be a great player. That’s why I’m proud of the effort, the performance and the form I picked up.

I think it was good for me to reset after Madrid. I had eight good days of training and a physical block, which was a nice buildup for this tournament and Roland Garros. Now I have a couple of days to rest. I’m going home tomorrow, and I’m going to have a couple of days to completely forget about tennis and just be a mom and enjoy my time with my family.

What are your go-to relaxation techniques, and how do you find time for them while traveling and being a mom?

Svitolina: It’s about not thinking about tennis so much when I’m home. After Madrid, I lost early and went back home. I was off social media. I wasn’t following the tournament. I was just trying to practice a few things to improve my fitness. The physical block was important for me, because we don’t get much time to do that.

But being at home, being a good mom -- when I’m home, I completely dedicate my time and energy to my daughter. We go for walks. I bring her to tennis and to golf. And with my husband, we enjoy a few different activities. I think it’s very important for your mind to reset and go again, because the schedule is packed and you need mental freshness. That’s what helps me.

Going back to Marta, she did a back handspring after her win in Madrid. Do you have any special talents or tricks saved for future celebrations, and can we get you to promise one after your next title?

Svitolina: I’m very talented at drinking beer. I’m not doing any backflips. I need my back for the upcoming tournaments. So I prefer to celebrate this way [laughing].