WATCH: Elina Svitolina Breaks Down After Creating History at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Ukrainian tennis icon, Elina Svitolina, arrived at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 with a sense of responsibility on her shoulders. The 26-year is currently world number 6 in the WTA rankings. She reached her career-high ranking of world number 3 in September 2017. And achieved that feat again on September 9, 2019.

Svitolina endured a tough start to her 2020 WTA season in Brisbane losing in the first round to Danielle Collins. She bounced back at the Monterrey Open beating Marie Bouzkov? in the final over three sets. This was her 14th singles title. Her previous WTA Finals victory came 16 months prior.

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After winning her second title last season at Strasbourg, Elena landed in Tokyo with a specific goal in mind – to win her country’s first Olympic medal in tennis. Little did she know that she would manage to accomplish that feat in just a week!

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Elina Svitolina etches her name in history books at Tokyo Olympics

In truly Olympic fashion, Elina Svitolina had to fight from behind in her 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 comeback win over her namesake, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. The Kazakhstan native thought she was on par to win a medal for her country before Svitolina fought from behind to win Ukraine’s first Olympic tennis medal.

Coincidentally, Svitolina had previously defeated Elena Rybakina in three tight sets in Strasbourg last year. This win will serve as the perfect gift for Svitolina who recently got engaged with French tennis star, Gael Monfils.

Grit and determination were the themes for Svitolina at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020. Four of her six matches were won in a deciding set. She dedicated approximately 12 hours on court to Laura Siegemund, Ajla Tomljanovic, Maria Sakkari, and Camila Giorgi, en route to the semis.

However, her dream of winning gold was cut short by Marketa Vondrousova in the semifinals. Nonetheless, Svitolina will be more than pleased to take home bronze and forever etch her name in Ukrainian record books.

I nher previous Olympic appearance in 2016, Svitolina defeated Andrea Petkovic, Heather Watson, and Serena Williams to reach the quarterfinals. But she missed out a bronze after she lost to eventual medalist Petra Kvitova.

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