Home » The war has altered my priorities, says Elina Svitolina.

On March 24th, at the WTA tournament in Miami, Elina Svitolina played in her final professional match. Even before announcing her pregnancy, the Ukrainian player decided to take a break. Russian aggression in her country has forced a reorganization of priorities and altered her plans.

In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, Svitolina elaborated: “To be honest, I was experiencing a wide range of feelings. It was hard to celebrate the pregnancy at this time. Due to the psychological strain of worrying about my loved ones in Ukraine, I had to withdraw from competition when the invasion began.

In a nutshell, it was not simple to deal with the situation. My top priorities have shifted considerably. When I played tennis, I felt out of place. In her mind, my loved ones’ safety was paramount. I found it challenging to give my undivided attention to my work, which is why I am writing this.

I can finally relax and give my attention to myself without feeling rushed. I feel like the media is putting less emphasis on the war, and I want to make sure people are aware that it is still going on. It is imperative that I make every effort possible.”

The tennis star Elina Svitolina has admitted, “My priorities have changed.”

Tennis’ two biggest governing bodies, the ATP and the WTA, have united in opposition to Wimbledon over the tournament’s decision to bar players from Russia and Belarus. This was a stance that Svitolina strongly disagreed with “The ATP and WTA press releases are incorrect in my opinion.

Concerning Ukrainian players and the country of Ukraine as a whole, I believe more could be done. The WTA, the ITF, and the Grand Slam tournament directors were all contacted. We briefed them on the situation, but they went ahead on their own.

When I learned where they stood, it made me sad. However, I do hold them in high regard, and I appreciate Wimbledon‘s leadership for standing up for Ukraine’s athletes. Some Russian tennis players keeping quiet? Ultimately, they decided.

Most of the players don’t even live in Russia; they train in Europe or the United States instead. The choice has been made by them. A lot of the tennis players didn’t care about their Ukrainian teammates or their families’ plight. There is now discord and tension because of this.

Many Ukrainians are being killed, our homes have been destroyed, and we have no place to train. There is a threat to all of our loved ones. When you have as much media attention as sport does, you also have a lot of responsibility. People may be able to gain some insight into the situation as a result. My goal is to accomplish this.”