Jealousy helped Svitolina in bid for top spot

London – Had it not been for a bout of childhood jealousy, Elina Svitolina (right) might never have become the most successful tennis player to emerge out of the Ukraine or be tipped as one of the favourites for this year’s French Open title.

Desperate to grab some of the attention her parents Mikhaylo and Olena showered on her older brother Yulian, in 1999 Svitolina began pounding furry tennis balls with all the power she could muster from her five-year-old body.

“My brother was playing tennis ... and he was getting all the attention from my parents. So because of him I started playing tennis,” she said.

“My parents were so into tennis, they were travelling with my brother. So playing tennis myself was the only way I could get their attention.”

Almost two decades on, the blonde 23-year-old is not far off from becoming No 1 in the world.

Now ranked fourth, Svitolina has been installed as one of the favourites to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup after she destroyed top-ranked Simona Halep in the Italian Open final to win her 12th title on Sunday.

But having bagged more tennis trophies than any other Ukrainian – Andriy Medvedev held the previous record of 11 – what Svitolina really wants is that elusive No 1 spot.

“My goal is to be number one. In Ukraine, being number one is bigger (than winning a Grand Slam) because lots of people notice you if you are number one in the world,” said Svitolina.

She hopes some of the lessons she learnt from four-time French Open champion Justine Henin during their year-long association in 2016 will help her to become the first woman since her former mentor to achieve the junior and women’s title double.

“There were small details that she told me that I have to do on court and off court. She shared a lot of her experience with me,” Svitolina, who captured the junior title aged 15 in 2010, said.

Putting Ukraine on the tennis map remains the ultimate goal for a player who was once offered money to switch allegiance to Israel.

“They offered me money and free training … but I never thought about it because for me playing for Ukraine is special as I was born there and I was raised there,” she said. – Reuters