Elina Svitolina has enjoyed a late-career resurgence since returning to the WTA Tour from pregnancy in 2023.
The Ukrainian has won three WTA titles upon her return, including her most recent at the ASB Classic at the start of the 2026 season.
Svitolina has been incredibly impressive in 2026 and she’s reached a final and semi-final of Masters events in Dubai and Indian Wells so far.
The star continues to climb the WTA Tour rankings and she has now matched a previous record hit by Serena Williams.
Elina Svitolina earns Serena Williams record with ranking climb
Svitolina has hit world number seven in the rankings thanks to her recent performances at the Sunshine Double.
That place in the rankings sees Svitolina become the first mum on the WTA Tour to reach that high in the rankings since Williams in 2021.
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By rising to #7 this week, Elina Svitolina equaled the highest ranking Serena Williams reached as a mom—she also got to #7 in 2021.
The two women are now the highest-ranked mothers on the WTA singles since Kim Clijsters in 2011. The Belgian reached world number one in the rankings after returning to the sport.
Svitolina will next be in action at the Women’s Stuttgart Open, which takes place between the 13 and 19 April.
The German event is set to feature all of the current top five, including Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff.
Elina Svitolina’s clay court record
Svitolina’s ranking boost could not have come at a better time as she will now head to the clay court swing, where she has typically performed well.
The Ukrainian has claimed six WTA titles on the surface in her career, although she is yet to win a Masters event on the clay.
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She holds an impressive 106–51 win-rate on clay, which equates to a 68% winning percentage. That number is higher than her record on hardcourts and grass, although she has played far more matches on the former.
Svitolina’s last title triumph on clay came a year ago when she defeated Olga Danilovic to win Open de Rouen.
She has also won clay court titles in Morocco, Italy, and Turkey.
