svitolina moved into the quarter-finals at Indian Wells on March 11 (ET) after Katerina Siniakova retired early in the second set with an injury. svitolina told reporters she welcomed the extra recovery time before her next match and used the moment to reflect on travelling with husband Gael Monfils. svitolina also reiterated a call for more equal prize money across WTA tournaments outside the Grand Slams.
Svitolina on travel, recovery and what she noticed in Monfils
Elina Svitolina, world No. 9, said the retirement handed her “a little bit more time to recover for tomorrow’s big match. ” Svitolina described Katerina Siniakova as having had “great wins” at the event and called Siniakova “very unlucky” to finish the tournament that way. The player also opened up about life on the road with her husband.
“I would say, I don’t know, he’s very chilled person, ” Svitolina said, noting that Monfils “spends less time outside” and focuses on “saving a little bit more energy. ” She added that his game is “more physical” and that he “shared more of that to me. ” On match preparation, Svitolina said she watches video and works with her coach to find patterns and combinations for opponents she has not faced previously.
Calls for more equal prize money
svitolina pressed for fairer compensation across non-Grand Slam events, saying, “I definitely want to see more equal prize money on the WTA tournaments, because of course in Grand Slams we are equal, but I think there is still a big gap between like 250s, 500s, and 1000s. ” She noted some tournaments have addressed the disparity and expressed a desire to see that approach spread.
Portia Archer, WTA CEO, said, “We are continuing to drive forward an agenda that empowers women – and ensures that these athletes have equitable opportunity, compensation and exposure. ” The WTA has a plan in place to close prize-money gaps: the organisation aims for equal pay at all WTA 1000 and 500 combined events by 2027 and at single-week WTA 1000 and 500 events by 2033.
What comes next — the draw and immediate outlook
svitolina will face Iga Swiatek next in the tournament, with the additional recovery time she described seen as a tactical benefit heading into that match. Tournament scheduling and improved night sessions for women were highlighted by Svitolina as positive changes she has observed in recent years.
As March 11 (ET) moves on, attention will turn to how svitolina uses the pause to prepare physically and tactically for her next opponent, and whether WTA progress on prize-money parity accelerates as the organisation pursues its 2027 and 2033 targets.
