It’s not about how you start but how you finish, and Elina Svitolina is hoping to finish strong at the WTA Finals in 2026.
After losing the first three sets at the competition, Svitolina has dug deep and kicked her game into overdrive. Since then, she’s won six of seven sets and taken out Karolina Muchova, Aryna Sabalenka and Linda Noskova to take her place in the title round of the WTA Finals for the third time.
The 2018 champion dominated a tired-looking Linda Noskova in Saturday’s second semifinal, 6-2, 6-1, in 65 minutes.
What was working for Svitolina on Saturday?
“Pretty much everything,” she said. “I think I played really well today. I was serving good, returning well too. Just happy with the way I could execute the game plan, and just everything was great.”
Next challenge for Svitolina? Facing the one woman who has defeated her this week – 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
“I think she’s playing really well, all-court game, so I’ll have to move well to find the right shots to attack,” Svitolina said. “I think this will be important, and of course I try to work on my serve, on the return. I think everything.
“I mean, we are playing with the best here, so you need to be finding small opportunities and trying to execute them well.”
The World No.6 from Odesa cracked 20 winners to 12 for Noskova and benefited from 11 double faults from Noskova as she broke the Czech five times in seven return games.
Svitolina won 23 of 30 second-serve points against Noskova.
Svitolina, who defeated Sloane Stephens in the 2018 WTA Finals title match, then finished runner-up to Ash Barty in 2019, has staying power on her side at 32. She’s a different player than she was seven or eight years ago, when she made defense and consistency her calling cards. These days, Svitolina is a much more offensive player, and she’ll need that firepower if she is to stand a chance against Andreeva, who has stormed through the field, losing just 18 games in four matches on her WTA Finals debut.
Svitolina and Andreeva met on Monday, with Andreeva scoring a tidy 6-4, 6-0 win. The Russian teen also defeated Svitolina at Indian Wells in 2025, but lost to her at this year’s Australian Open in the round of 16.
“I think she’s in good form, but I feel like I found my game since I lost the first match against her,” Svitolina said. “So yeah, I will do my homework with my coaches and try to find the keys for tomorrow.”
Svitolina, who returned to the Top 10 for the first time since 2021 this season, now owns 11 Top 10 wins in 2026 (most on tour). Only Serena Williams (5) has reached the final more often at the tour’s season-ending championships since the format change in 2003.
0 comments