Svitolina speaks of ‘greater mission’ in return to Ukraine

Elina Svitolina returned to her house nation of Ukraine this week for the primary time for the reason that begin of the Russian invasion final February. 

The previous world No. 3 and Olympic bronze medalist is an envoy for United 24, the inspiration based by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to gather monetary donations for Ukraine within the wake of the invasion, and met with him throughout her go to to the capital metropolis of Kyiv.

Svitolina additionally instructed the AP that she presently plans to return to tennis in April, following the October delivery of her daughter, Skaï, whom she shares with husband and ATP professional Gael Monfils.

Whereas in Kyiv, Svitolina additionally paid a go to to a maternity hospital within the metropolis to donate a generator to assist its operations. In an interview with the Associated Press, Svitolina mentioned that the go to recalled her personal reminiscences of the invasion final February, shortly after she found she was pregnant. 

“It was extraordinarily worrying for me. I used to be nonetheless taking part in on the tour then, competing at some tournaments. I could not focus. I could not dwell my life usually. It was a horrible time for me,” she mentioned. “Visiting the maternity middle stroke a chord in my memory what I used to be going by and the way robust these girls are.”

Along with her go to to the capital, Svitolina additionally visited Odesa, her hometown, and had a candy reunion along with her grandmother, Tamara.

Svitolina’s journey to Ukraine marked the primary time that she had been separated from Skaï for an prolonged interval since her delivery.

“In fact, I wish to be along with her,” she mentioned, “however I’ve an even bigger mission to do free of charge Ukrainian individuals.”

During the last 12 months, Svitolina has been energetic in quite a few philanthropic and aid efforts to assist her war-torn homeland. In December, for instance, her namesake basis raised extra that $250,000 in disaster aid at a charity public sale in Monaco.

Svitolina’s charity basis raises greater than $250,000 for Ukraine at gala

Svitolina’s final performed on the 2022 Miami Open, the place she misplaced within the first spherical to Nice Britain’s Heather Watson. She and Monfils later introduced her being pregnant in Could.

Ukraine’s most prolific participant, Svitolina owns 16 profession singles titles and has reached two Grand Slam semifinals, at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2019.