Jessica Pegula took on Elina Svitolina at the 2023 US Open and was impressed with the mom strength displayed by the Ukrainian.
The match itself was a great one as we saw three sets of very good battling. Svitolina ultimately didn't have enough to complete the comeback, but she impressed her opponent with the level she displayed. It's been a very good comeback for her, with notable results in Paris, Wimbledon and now the US Open as well.
The play style of Svitolina is a bit different after the comeback, which Pegula noted as well. She's playing more aggressively, being more daring with the forehand in particular, and it's a good fit for this modern style of attacking tennis.
Yeah, I feel like she's playing little after her forehand a little bit more. She's still moving very well and still I think playing her game, though, at the same time just being a little bit more aggressive at certain times.
I felt like the last few times I played her before she had her baby, she seemed like a little run down, I feel like. So, I don't know, maybe her getting pregnant was good timing.
Being away from the sport possibly did benefit Svitolina as the sport is very taxing. She played a lot of it before her pregnancy, and stepping away from it possibly did her well. The situation back home certainly impacted her as well, so being able to stay in one place with people close to her allowed her to feel supported.
If she had been on the road during that time, things would have been far more tougher to endure. In any case, Pegula saw more energy from Svitolina than before her pregnancy.
I think we've seen that with Wozniacki and several other girls that had babies. It's a nice reset. Definitely playing a little bit more aggressive, but at the same time still her game. It makes it really tough because you're not quite sure what to do as much maybe as before.
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