Elina Svitolina has reflected on the end of her hopes of winning the Wimbledon title for Ukraine after losing in the efforts amid war in her homeland and only nine months after giving birth to daughter Skai
Friday 14 July 2023 06:03, UK
A tearful Elina Svitolina has admitted she's been carrying a lot on her shoulders as she reflected on the end of her hopes of winning the Wimbledon title for Ukraine.
Svitolina's efforts amid war in her homeland and only nine months after giving birth to daughter Skai have been one of the stories of the tournament.
But her hopes of reaching a first grand slam final were ended in emphatic fashion by 24-year-old Czech Marketa Vondrousova, whose 6-3 6-3 victory makes her the first unseeded women's finalist at Wimbledon since 1963.
I just hope that Ukrainian people continue supporting me. It was really amazing. And I just hope that I'm going to get another chance.
Svitolina was desperately disappointed with her performance and struggled to keep her composure as she spoke about the support she had received from back home.
"I got a lot of messages from different people," she said. "It's unbelievable that they've been there with me all the way. Hopefully they continue.
"For sure I hope I can build on this. But right now I'm just really disappointed with the performance that I showed today. That's what I have right now in my mind.
"Probably I will need a couple of days to really reflect on everything that happened because I was trying to be really focused, even after the win against Iga (Swiatek)."
Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, was in the Royal Box, with Svitolina's run having provided cheer amid dark times for her compatriots back home.
Sergiy Stakhovsky celebrated the best moment of his career on Centre Court 10 years ago when he beat Roger Federer but that is a distant memory now as he prepares to return to the front line.
He told the Telegraph: "There's not a person in Ukraine who isn't following her story. She brings joy where there is despair, brings hope where there is misery. She is fulfilling a lot of things the Ukrainians need these days."
Although it did not maintain its ban on Russian and Belarusian players, Wimbledon organisers have tried to show they are still on Ukraine's side, welcoming 1,000 refugees to the Championships and helping Ukrainian players with training and accommodation costs.
They are also donating one pound for every fan who comes through the gates to the British Red Cross' humanitarian work in Ukraine, with the total at £412,132 after 10 days.
Svitolina has spoken at length about the new mindset she has on her return to tennis, as a new mother and as a result of the war, with on-court defeats no longer the disaster they might once have felt.
The Ukrainian admitted she has been carrying a lot on her shoulders, saying: "For sure it's a big motivation but it's a lot of responsibility, a lot of tension. I try to balance it as much as I can.
"But sometimes it gets maybe too much. But I don't want to take it as an excuse that I lost today. I try to take it as a motivation for me. I just hope that Ukrainian people continue supporting me. It was really amazing. And I just hope that I'm going to get another chance."
