Svitolina shares hospital bed photo, ends season prematurely

Just days after world No. 22 Ons Jabeur announced she wouldn’t return to competition until Australia 2025, world No. 28 Elina Svitolina has revealed that she, too, will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 tennis season due to a foot surgery.

In an update on Wednesday, Svitolina shared a photo from her hospital bed and another of her in a wheelchair, with her husband Gael Monfils carrying her crutches. The Ukrainian star explained that she had finally addressed a persistent issue that had plagued her for the past two seasons:

So unfortunately my 2024 season is now in the history books, as I have had surgery on my foot today to correct a long standing issue that I have been trying to manage throughout this year.

This is the same issue that ended my season in 2023 and has hampered me for most of 2024. It’s become harder to manage and has been impacting me more and more, not just with regard to tennis and training but in my everyday life too.

Despite this significant setback, the mom on Tour remains resolute in her comeback ambitions:

I am excited for the opportunity to focus on my recovery and come back even stronger than before. I am determined to do whatever it takes to get back on the court and compete at the highest level.

Svitolina’s last match of the season was at the US Open, where she fell to defending champion Coco Gauff in the third round.