Svitolina on learning French after opening Roland Garros win over Babel: "I am more stressed than when I’m playing tennis"
WTATuesday, 01 June 2021 at 16:30
World No.6, Elina Svitolina moved through to the second round of the French Open with a straight sets win over Oceane Babel in the opening tie on Court Phillipe Chatrier on Tuesday morning.
A three-time quarter-finalist at Roland Garros, Svitolina also has links to France due to her fiance, Gael Monfils and she said after her 6-2, 7-5 win that she is currently learning the language.
“I was really happy to play on this court today, it is always special to play your opening match on Chatrier. It is nice weather and fans are in the stadium so it’s extra special” Svitolina said during her on-court interview.
“I am trying to learn French with Gael, but I am more stressed than when I’m playing tennis.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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