World number 13 Elina Svitolina has ended her 2025 season early to prioritize her mental health. She last played in Ukraine’s Billie Jean King Cup semi-final run, where her loss to Jasmine Paolini ended their historic campaign. This marked Ukraine’s first-ever semi-final in the competition, following a quarter-final victory over six-time champions Spain.
Announcement
Svitolina, 31, explained her decision in an emotional Instagram post, admitting she was not in the right mental or emotional state to continue. She emphasized that tennis is about being ready to fight with full commitment and that right now she is unable to do so. She added that “not every day has to be productive, strong, or full of energy. Some days are heavy—and that doesn’t make me weak. It just means I’m human and need time to rest, to feel, to breathe and to just be.” She said she wants to return only when she can give her best to herself, the fans, and the game. Still, the announcement came as a surprise.
Season overview
Svitolina’s season reflected both highs and lows. She started strong, reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals, including a win over Paolini, before falling to eventual champion Madison Keys. After early exits in Linz, Doha, and Dubai, she regained form with several WTA 1000 quarter-finals. Her standout results included a semi-final in Madrid—her best performance there—where she lost to world number one Aryna Sabalenka, and another quarter-final at Roland Garros, where she was stopped by Iga Swiatek. One could say the highs outweighed the lows.
Her title of the year came in Rouen, a WTA 250 event, where she won without dropping a set. A disappointing grass season followed, capped by a third-round exit at Wimbledon against Elise Mertens. In Montreal, she reached the quarter-finals before losing to Naomi Osaka. However, early exits in Cincinnati and the US Open raised concerns. She silenced some doubts with a strong Billie Jean King Cup quarter-final win over Paula Badosa.
Record
Svitolina concluded 2025 with a 35–14 record across 15 tournaments. She reached two Grand Slam quarter-finals, three WTA 1000 quarter-finals, one semi-final, and claimed her 18th career singles title. The breakthrough win at the biggest stages evaded her but on balance, it would be wrong to say Elina Svitolina’s 2025 season was bad. She came close on several occasions but ran into stronger opponents at the US Open and Wimbledon. Few players relish facing Elise Mertens or Naomi Osaka, and those matchups underlined how narrow the margins were.