Elina Svitolina says ‘war made me stronger’ as Ukraine tennis star continues remarkable run

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina credits Russia’s invasion of her country for making her mentally stronger on the tennis court. Svitolina, who recently returned to the sport after giving birth to her daughter, achieved her third career Grand Slam semifinal on Tuesday by defeating world No. 1 Iga Świątek. With a wildcard entry into Wimbledon, Svitolina now has a chance to reach her first-ever major final when she faces Markéta Vondroušová of the Czech Republic on Thursday. This period in Svitolina’s career has been marked by her involvement in tennis’ humanitarian efforts for Ukraine, as she has been at the forefront of relief initiatives. The war and the birth of her daughter have changed her perspective on both sports and life. She sees difficult situations as challenges rather than disasters and has become more calm and focused. Svitolina acknowledges the pressures of returning to the top of the sport but credits her experiences with war and motherhood for shaping her into a different person. Her impressive run at Wimbledon includes victories against four former Grand Slam champions, and her next opponent, Vondroušová, praises her for her fighting spirit and incredible performance. Svitolina has contributed to relief efforts in Ukraine by donating prize money and participating in charity events. She is also an ambassador for UNITED24, an organization established by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to raise funds for medical supplies, defense, and infrastructure rebuilding. The support Svitolina is receiving from her home country is immense, with numerous messages and news updates flooding in. She is glad that she can bring a little happiness to the lives of those following her journey. In light of the ongoing war, Svitolina has chosen not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents after matches. She commends Wimbledon organizers for covering the accommodation costs of Ukrainian players participating in this year’s tournament. Russian and Belarusian players were banned from Wimbledon last year but are now competing as neutral athletes. Russian player Andrey Rublev expresses gratitude for the support he has received from the crowd during his return this year, feeling that it is special to have such backing despite being from his country.