By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Photo: Getty
Armed with her missile, Elina Svitolina started her tennis dreams in Kharkiv.
A camouflage-clad Svitolina returned to Kharkiv armed with an automatic weapon in a fearless show of support for her fellow Ukrainians.
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Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Svitolina has been an outspoken advocate for her nation and human rights causes during a horrific ongoing war.
In a social media post with images of her trip to Kharkiv, Svitolina said she was inspired by the heroism of her people and the collective courage Ukrainians have shown under attack.
“If you ask me, where do I find the motivation to fight in sports arenas? This is my country, my people, Kharkiv and our heroes,” Svitolina said in an Instagram post.
Last January, Svitolina, Dayana Yastremska and Marta Kostyuk made history at the Australian Open. For the first time in Open Era history, three Ukrainian women reached at least the fourth round of a Grand Slam in Melbourne.
Svitolina said the ferocious strength the Ukrainians display every day has fueled her fighting spirit on court, but admits the constant fighting leaves her feeling scared and empty of death and destruction.
“People who haven’t experienced it can’t really understand what it’s like to not have a home, to not feel safe anywhere, to have family in Ukraine, under bombs, to know that Ukrainian cities are being destroyed,” Svitolina said. Team. “It is both fear and a great emptiness.”
