Not many tennis players arrived in Tokyo in worse form than Elina Svitolina as the Ukrainian player struggled mightily in the weeks ahead of the event. However, Svitolina got married only days before travelling to Tokyo which put her in a good mood and it helped.
She stormed past everyone to the semifinal where she almost secured a place in the final however she was able to win the Bronze as a consolation prize. The Ukrainian player took some time off after the Olympics but shared her thoughts on social media writing:
“For sure, physically I was really tired after Tokyo but I had a few days off and that really helped me to recover and really enjoy this win. Right now I feel much better. I feel mentally much better. Before the Olympics, it had been a couple of really tough tournaments for me. Early exits at Wimbledon and playing not as good as I wanted at Roland Garros, so it was really tough for me."
SPeaking about the upcoming swing she wrote:
“Coming back strong at the Olympics, playing some great tennis, good tennis, even when I was down. Winning that medal really inspired me to play until the very last point and to fight for what I want. I’m now more happy and really in a good mood for the US swing.”
Last time the good mood effect carried over. Hopefully for Svitolina and her fans, it will once again.