Elina Svitolina opens up about having daughter Skaï with her in Australia – ‘She got very sick before we left’

Shahida Jacobs
Elina Svitolina interview
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine talks to the media

Elina Svitolina made a winning return to the Australian Open, but she admitted after her victory that her family’s journey from Europe initially got off to a rocky start.

Having missed the start of the 2023 campaign – including the Australian Open – as she was still on maternity leave following the birth of her first child, a daughter named Skaï, Svitolina’s 2024 season got off to a positive start as she finished runner-up to Coco Gauff at the Auckland Open in the first week of January.

And she has carried that momentum over to Melbourne Park as she won her first-round match at the season-opening Grand Slam against 18-year-old wildcard Taylah Preston from Australia, claiming a routine 6-2, 6-2 victory.

“I’m happy to be back. Happy winning the first round again here,” Svitolina said. “I’m just happy with the way I started the Australian Open in general. Of course not easy at the beginning of the match, but then played quite solid, so I’m happy with the win today.”

Skaï, who was born in October 2022, made the trip to the Antipodean with her parents Elina and fellow professional player Gael Monfils, but there were one or two tricky moments before they even boarded a plane.


Svitolina, though, is delighted to be able to enjoy the warmer weather with her daughter and husband in Australia.

“Skaï is here with us and it was a long trip all the way from Europe first [to] New Zealand and now here,” she said.

“I had some trips without her, like to Wimbledon for example. To US Open, as well, she didn’t come, But now she’s already one year and four months, you know, it’s a little bit easier with the long flights.”

The Ukrainian added: “It was not easy for us because she got very sick the day before we left, so we had to push back the flight. Putting the priority of your child first is [important], it is their life like this right now, but I’m happy that we decided to bring her here with us.

“We spend so much time together, the weather is super nice [whereas] in Europe a little bit cold snowing. So, it’s nice for her to be here, spend a lot of time in the park with my mom, with the nanny.

“When you are leaving for a very long time, it’s difficult, mentally. There is a plus and minus, you know, in this situation, but I feel like we made the right choice this time.”

READ MORE: WATCH: Gael Monfils gets a kiss as Elina Svitolina explains why they are not travelling with daughter Skai