(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Elina Svitolina, 28, says “war changed me in many ways” as the Ukrainian tennis star now values way more her time with family. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Svitolina, who took a break from tennis last March and returned to tennis this April, recently promised she would do her best to continue drawing attention to what is happening in Ukraine.
After winning her first title since becoming a mom last week in Strasbourg, Svitolina donated all of her prize money to the kids of Ukraine. “I think war changed me in so many ways. I think I treasure my time with my family, my time just on a daily basis.
I really try to understand how lucky I am to be where I am and to have a voice, as well. Also to play at such a big events and to have opportunity to play such big events, to motivate young kids of Ukraine, to have this opportunity.
So in so many ways, I’m just grateful that my life turned like that, so that’s why I just want to give this little part to the people who need it the most right now. I just want to do something in return,” Svitolina said, per Sky Sports.
Svitolina wants the focus to be on what is really important
This week, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Belarusia’s Aryna Sabalenka after their match. The Kostyuk-Sabalenka drama drew lots of attention.
When asked what she has noticed since returning, Svitolina suggested some are trying to draw away attention from what is really important. “What I found is a lot, I don’t know in a nicer way to say, but a lot of rubbish is happening around the situation where we have to focus on the main point of what is going on.
A lot of Ukrainian people need help and support and we are focusing on so many things, like empty words, empty things that are not helping the situation,” Svitolina said.
