Elina Svitolina is quietly advancing through the 2024 Australian ...

The women's draw of the 2024 Australian Open has provided tennis fans with a lot of excitement and several unexpected results in the first week of the tournament. Among the storylines headed into the event was the return of the mothers, Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber. We are barely a year removed from another mother making her return to competitive tennis, and somehow Elina Svitolina is flying under the radar despite an impressive three rounds of tennis.

Svitolina is into the fourth round and will play Linda Noskova, the 19-year old Czech Republic player who upset World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The draw is opening up, and this could be an opportunity for Svitolina to win her maiden Grand Slam.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, too many upsets have happened at this tournament, and Elina Svitolina has never made it to a Grand Slam final. She is a three-time semifinalist (2019 Wimbledon, 2019 US Open, and 2023 Wimbledon).

Her half of the draw is wide open. There are no Top 10 players remaining. The most accomplished player remaining is 18th seed Victoria Azarenka, Her two Grand Slam wins happened in Melbourne in 2012 and 2013. Logically speaking, either Svitolina or Azarenka are the odds-on favorites to make it to the final from their half of the draw.

The other half of the draw is tricky. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and 2023 US Open Champion Coco Gauff are in there. Teenager Mirra Andreeva is also. There is a lot of tennis yet to be played, but if Svitolina gets to the final relatively unscathed with no long or tiring matches, she has a great chance to win. Women's tennis is so competitive right now that, amazingly, more people are not talking about Elina Svitolina's chances, but that could change with more wins this week.