Elina Svitolina Admits She Has 'Extra Motivation' Against Russian Players
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Elina Svitolina did not hide how much beating Russian players means to her after reaching the Australian Open quarterfinal with a win against Veronika Kudermetova.
Svitolina's home country of Ukraine has been at war with Russia since the latter launched an illegal invasion in February 2022. There is no sign of the war that has raged for almost three years stopping anytime soon.
The former Wimbledon semifinalist has spoken several times about the conflict. She worries that the public is losing interest in the tragic situation and that there is a lack of understanding about what is really happening.
Svitolina and all Ukrainian players have refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players. Belarus's government has given direct and vociferous support to Russia in its war of aggression.
That meant Svitolina and Veronika Kudermetova, a Russian, did not shake hands after the Ukrainian's comprehensive victory in their fourth-round match at the Australian Open on the Rod Laver Arena.
In a press conference afterward, Svitolina was told she is now 7-0 against Russians since the war began. The 30-year-old admitted that her energy is different when she faces Russian players, even though her preparations are the same.
"I don't do anything different when I face a Russian. I just feel that the spirit is different. I put all my energy there. If I'm not gonna win, I'm gonna almost die on the court."
"The associations I make with that country are very tough and painful in my heart. So, of course, I have extra motivation".
Svitolina further elucidated her comments by saying she wanted the people in Ukraine to wake up to good news, which motivated her to send a Russian player packing on one of the most significant stages in tennis.
"I was extremely motivated to play a Russian. I wanted people in Ukraine to wake up to good news".
The dynamic of the conflict in Ukraine could be impacted by the recent election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, which has given much support to Ukraine. Svitolina is unsure whether Trump's presence will change things.
"There is a lot of talks about what it's going to be with him. No one knows what's gonna happen. Let's wait".
Other Ukrainian WTA stars share Svitolina's hardline stance against Russian and Belarusian players. The country's No. 1 Marta Kostyuk recently said they should be banned until the war ends.
Kostyuk used to be close friends with Paula Badosa, but the pair shared a cold handshake after their recent Australian Open match, which the Ukrainian instigated. There was initially widespread confusion about why that was.
Badosa mentioned afterward that Kostyuk's views about the conflict in Ukraine were a factor. The Spaniard might have indirectly meant that her visible off-court friendship with the Belarusian WTA world No. 1 played a role.
While Sabalenka has repeatedly said she wants the war to end, she also believes mixing politics and sport is bad and should be stopped.
