The first racket of Ukraine , Elina Svitolina , told how she feels when her opponent on the court is a representative of the aggressor country, Russia.
In an interview with the British edition of the Daily Mail, she noted that confrontations with Russian athletes on tennis courts are a little “reminiscent of war.” She always comes to such matches with great motivation.
– It's a little like war, of course it's not war. But there are still different types of battles. Every time I go on court against them, it's a big motivation. I also know how many people in Ukraine watch the games, and I feel this responsibility,” said the tennis player.
According to Svitolina, such meetings take a lot of her energy , but she uses it as a privilege: I go out there and fight, like a Ukrainian soldier does.
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Svitolina said that 2023 was a mentally difficult year for her, but she “found motivation every day to continue working” on her professional path. The athlete emphasized that she understands that she can use it as a platform to raise awareness about Ukraine.
“The world’s interest in the war in Ukraine has recently decreased and this is cause for concern,” Svitolina said.
Let us remind you that tennis players from Russia and its ally Belarus compete in tournaments under the auspices of the WTA and ATP under neutral flags.
In early September, Elina Svitolina announced a break from performances after suspending her participation in the third round of the US Open 2023. The Ukrainian reported that she wants to fully recover from a foot injury that bothered her after her performances at Wimbledon 2023.
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