Throughout her career, Elina Svitolina has proven to be one of the more reliable performers on the WTA tour. The 30 year-old finds herself in her 12th career Grand Slam quarterfinal at this year’s Australian Open, highlighted by a third-round upset win over fourth seed, Jasmine Paolini. All of this is coming in her first tournament back after foot surgery that ended her 2024 season prematurely. While it’s perhaps an unexpected result, it’s not out of character from one of the game’s great competitors.
What has been a bit of a surprise, though, is Svitolina is doing it with brand-new equipment.
A long-time Wilson player, the Ukrainian started the season using the soon-to-be-released Diadem Axis 98 racquet. The frame is designed to optimize swing speed and spin generation to produce powerful and heavy shots. Svitolina will also use Diadem string, bags and overgrip.
