Who needs friends when you have books? That’s one way Elina Svitolina deals with the pressures of life on the tour. The current world No. 14 shared reflections on her 2016 season, from whether she met her personal goals to what she does in her free time.
Although she didn’t break into the Top 10 as planned, Svitolina is happy with her improvements.
"On the court and mentally I felt more confident in myself,” the 22-year-old said.
The Ukrainian won her fourth career title in Kuala Lumpur, and reached the final of the Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
"Also, my preparations and pre-tournament routine have been slightly changed," she added. "Overall, at the end of the year I've achieved good results and I'm happy with my season."
Professional tennis is obviously a tough word, and Svitolina says it’s not the best place to make friends (admitting she only has one close pal).
"When you're not on the court, you want to focus on other things and not think about tennis," she said. "When you go out on the court, before the tournament and during the match there is a lot of pressure, so I want to have other topics to talk about with someone who is far from tennis."
Svitolina spends most of her free time reading and exploring cities in between matches. She’ll spend the short off season resting, but also adapting to new training after splitting with her coach of over two years Iain Hughes. And, of course, hoping to finally meet her tennis idol, Andre Agassi.