Svitolina Talks Of Regret Of Competing In Russia After Start Of War In Donbas

| by Jake Davies

Elina Svitolina revealed her regret at making the decision to continue to play at WTA tournaments in Russia following the start of the Donbas War.

It goes without saying that Svitolina has been resurgent since her comeback, making the semi-finals of Wimbledon, on her least favourite surface, and looking close to the same player that was in the Top 5 before giving birth to her first child.

As much as the ongoing success on the court has been a welcome one for the Ukrainian, that does not take away the torment of what she has been going through off the court, with the current war in her home country of Ukraine.

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Svitolina is one of the many Ukrainian players that has made the decision to not shake the hand of any of her Russian opponents at the end of a completed tennis match.

On top of that, Svitolina has never been afraid to speak her mind, give her side of the story on the Russo-Ukrainian war and the ongoing international conflict that is happening between those nations. However, Svitolina admitted recently how she had some significant regrets about playing in Russia when perhaps she should not have.

"I really regret going after 2014. So many of my friends who spoke only Russian, now only speak Ukrainian."

Svitolina often talks about trying to channel her frustrations in the right way and she uses what is going on to boost her motivation levels ahead of some matchups.

"The pressure is always in the back of the mind it is always there."

Svitolina will come up against No.3 seed Jessica Pegula in her upcoming third round match, and the Ukrainian will be hoping to make the second week of a major for the third Grand Slam in succession, having made the quarter-final of the French Open and went one step further at Wimbledon.

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