Elina Svitolina said the war in her homeland of Ukraine has motivated her to perform on the court.
Svitolina entered the 2023 Wimbledon as a wildcard following her eased return to the WTA Tour in April, following the birth of her first child. However, despite her low rank entering the competition, the Ukrainian player has produced several stunning performances on the way to her first Grand Slam semi-final since 2019.
So far, the 28-year-old has beaten the likes of Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka and top seed Iga Swiatek en route to the final four at Wimbledon. Achieving such a feat requires plenty of focus and motivation, which Svitolina feels she has in abundance due to the ongoing war in her homeland of Ukraine, and due to the birth of her daughter.
"I think war made me stronger and also made me, like, mentally stronger. Mentally I don't take difficult situations as like a disaster, you know? There are worse things in life. I'm just more calmer."
"I think also, because I'm just started to play again, I have different pressures. Of course, I want to win. I have this motivation, like huge motivation, to come back to the top. But I think having a child, and war, made me a different person. I look at the things a bit differently."
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, tensions have been high on the WTA and ATP tours, especially in relation to post-match handshakes. However, when asked about the situation, Svitolina was eager to focus on Ukrainian soldiers, and she thanked them for their defence of the country.
"It's really unbelievable what they are doing for our country. I can't thank enough for their bravery, for what they are going through. It really takes a lot to go to fight for your country."
"Yeah, just really, really thankful for what they're doing for Ukraine. All Ukrainians, we are here to help them to win this war."
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