Elina Svitolina secured her spot in the Round of 16 at the 2026 Berlin Open after her opponent, Anna Kalinskaya, was forced to retire due to injury during their match on Tuesday.
Elina Svitolina’s Path to the Berlin Open Round of 16
From the outset, Svitolina dominated the encounter on the German grass courts, quickly establishing a commanding lead. Within just 43 minutes, she surged ahead 6-1, 4-1, stringing together six consecutive games spanning both sets. Throughout her performance, Svitolina delivered four aces and successfully converted five out of eight break-point opportunities.
Kalinskaya initially showed promise by holding serve at love early in the first set, but physical difficulties soon took their toll. After both players exchanged breaks in the second set, Kalinskaya was unable to continue and retired from the match.
Coming off an impressive clay-court season highlighted by a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open and a stunning upset over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina en route to the Italian Open semifinals earlier this year, Svitolina now faces a pivotal moment as she transitions to grass court competition.
With Wimbledon just under two weeks away, many top-ranked WTA players are navigating the swift shift in surfaces. Svitolina’s strong showing in Berlin signals her readiness for the challenge ahead.
Her next opponent will be Germany’s Eva Lys, with their match scheduled for Thursday and broadcast live on The Tennis Channel.