Elina Svitolina was the last woman standing at the 2023 Strasbourg Open and she promised to donate her prize money from the event to Ukraine.
Elina Svitolina has been playing tennis for a few weeks but it wasn't until this week in Strasbourg that she looked like herself. Much of the week hasn't been spectacular but it showcased her signature fight which won her more than one match.
There wasn't much struggling on Saturday as she cruised to her first trophy since giving birth last year. It comes after a string of early exits from previous events including a first-round exit in Rome. Following her first WTA title as a mother, Svitolina revealed that she was donating all of her prize money to Ukraine relief efforts highlighting kids in particular.
I would like to share this energy with Ukraine, with my homeland. All my prize money from this tournament is going to go to the kids of Ukraine, [which is] much needed in this tough moment.
Svitolina has been at the forefront of several relief efforts including a charity event at the Charleston Open which was her first event since coming back. The final today saw her beat a Russian which certainly was a boost as she did play with a lot of fire and passion.
You could see that she was really focused on winning the match. In her speech, Svitolina also thanked France for everything it did during this war.
I would like to thank France for doing an unbelievable job, welcoming Ukrainians, doing everything possible for them to feel like it's their second home. Thank you so much for everything that you do for us, and together, we're going to see the light and end this war.
Now she's going to turn her attention to Paris to see whether she can keep this good run going.
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