Elina Svitolina bested Iga Swiatek the last time they played, but the Ukrainian is wary of possible physical struggles ahead of their match at the 2024 Dubai Championships.
The last time they played was at Wimbledon last year, and it was a match where Svitolina bested Swiatek. The match was a competitive one, but the Ukrainian was able to outlast the Polish number one, which isn't very easy.
It's going to be pretty tough in this upcoming clash in Dubai. It does heavily favor Swiatek, considering how well she's played this year and in the Middle East. It's also more likely due to Svitolina's recent physical struggles, which she admitted ahead of the match as well.
Speaking to WTA Insider, Svitolin admitted that her tennis is looking good, but her body is struggling with small things here and there, which also come with age and after a long time spent away from the sport. She'll try to be ready for the match, but she didn't rule out that everything would be smooth.
"We're trying to take it one day at a time. It's a mixture of feelings, to be fair. I had a good start to the season, playing great tennis, and then getting injured again. It's tough mentally."
"Now we're trying to recover for every single match. Still pain here and there, but trying to work with my body as much as possible. I had a good training before and that's why I was able to win these two matches. But mentally it hasn't been easy for me because I had to skip the end of the last season, and then in Australia."
She'll have to see how the match unfolds, but it would be hugely important for Svitolina to finish the match, let alone win it. She certainly won't want to push too hard.
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