Tennis-Svitolina ends season after undergoing foot surgery

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Elina Svitolina’s tennis season has ended, the Ukrainian said on Wednesday after she underwent surgery on her right foot to address a long-standing injury.

Svitolina came back from maternity leave last year firing on all cylinders and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, but she said she had struggled throughout her 2024 campaign with the injury.

“So unfortunately my 2024 season is now in the history books, as I have had surgery on my foot today to correct a long-standing issue that I have been trying to manage throughout this year,” Svitolina said on Instagram, alongside a photo of herself in a hospital bed.

“It’s become harder to manage and has been impacting me more and more, not just with regard to tennis and training but in my everyday life too.”

Svitolina, 30, went out of the U.S. Open in a third-round defeat to American Coco Gauff, her last match of the year, and said she planned to return to the court in 2025.

“I am excited for the opportunity to focus on my recovery and come back even stronger than before,” she said.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare Fallon)