Just when it looked like another heartbreak, Elina Svitolina proved everyone wrong. At the Indian Wells Masters, Svitolina came back from a deficit to beat former World No. 1, Iga Swiatek.

Having won the first set, things looked easy, but they hardly were. However, with a dramatic flip, Svitolina advanced to the Indian Wells quarterfinals with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Iga Swiatek.

Revealing her secret to the third set, Svitolina said, "I tried to be more consistent, definitely, because, you know, in the second set, I think made few mistakes here and there, didn't take my opportunity in the right way."

A big part of Svitolina's joy was her record at the tournament. It will be her first time reaching the stage since being knocked out by Mira Andreeva in 2019. That's why she ensured there was enough pressure on Swiatek.

Swiatek’s struggle against Svitolina began early. And using that, the Ukrainian broke Swiatek three times in the first set, winning 6-2 in 38 minutes. However, the Polish star fought back during the second, forcing a decider.

But Svitolina controlled the rhythm in the third set 5-4, converting her second break point in the ninth game to take the lead. Ultimately, the victory was sealed with an ace and a forehand volley. And following the win, she opened up about her experience.

Elina Svitolina Is Happy With Her Performance

Back in 2025, September, Svitolina took a break from Tennis due to mental health and burnout. But 2026 has seen her strong return, seizing 19 victories and only 3 defeats over 3 months of competition. And she expressed happiness after the latest one.

“It was a good day for me. I played really well. I wouldn’t say it was a perfect match”, she said. “But somehow, I managed to stay in the game, fight, and find a solution after losing the second set. But yes, I'm very happy overall with my performance."

However, she highlighted the need to get aggressive on the court and trust her shots while facing a player like Iga, who is a very aggressive player.

With this, Svitolina moves on to the semi-finals, where she will take on Elena Rybakina. The real challenge for Svitolina is to get past the semi-finals.

How do you think her next game will look? Let us know!

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar