Elina Svitolina is back to focusing on tennis, but her mind is still in Ukraine, where the war is still raging.
The Ukrainian spent much of her pregnancy advocating on behalf of her home country, Ukraine. They've been involved in a bloody war for over two years, and ever since she came back to the sport, Svitolina has continued to champion the Ukrainian cause.
It's still heavy on her mind because the war is still going on. Her compatriots are still fighting for a future where their country exists, and people keep dying all the time.
She has people close to her on the front lines, and it's just a sad state of affairs. Despite being focused on tennis and her family, a part of her is constantly focused on what has been going on back home, as she revealed at the 2024 Roland Garros.
"It is very sad for my country. You know, I’m representing Ukraine, it’s the country that I’m from, I love my people and of course, it’s sad because I know so many of my friends and people that I know are in the front line and losing their lives in this horrible war."
As long as the war keeps going, Svitolina will champion the Ukrainian cause in her own way. She's been very active in relief efforts and will continue to do so, even though it may not always be possible.
She couldn't confirm or deny whether another possible exhibition event joined with a fundraiser would be held at the upcoming Wimbledon, as was the case last year, but more fundraisers are certainly coming from the WTA player.
"I haven’t had a conversation yet. Last year, they announced it just before. I haven’t had a conversation, I don’t know about it."