No panic. No rush. Just one perfect strike when it mattered most.
Deadlocked at 5-all in the second set, Elina Svitolina seized her opportunity. Following a demanding rally that sent both players scrambling from corner to corner, the Ukrainian star unleashed a powerful forehand down the line – without hesitation, without margin for error. It was a clean winner, and her reaction spoke volumes: a roar that cut through the quiet in Rouen.
That crucial point was the turning point in her 6-4, 7-6 (8) victory over Olga Danilovic, clinching Svitolina’s first title of 2025 and her 18th career title overall. The final lasted just under two hours; while she never lost control, the match felt tight and challenging until the very end.
As the top seed in Rouen, Svitolina did not drop a single set throughout the week. She displayed sharp, physically demanding tennis, but her decisive advantage came from her strategic intelligence – knowing when to absorb pressure, when to attack, and when to take calculated risks.
This triumph marked her first title since Strasbourg in 2023 and serves as another significant step in her considered and composed return to the sport`s highest level.
In a match filled with shifts in momentum, it was ultimately one precise forehand shot that made all the difference.
