The Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, 27th player in the world, said Monday after her victory against the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (75th) at the Australian Open that she felt “responsible” to bring a “little glow” to his compatriots, his country still being at war with Russia. Asked about the motivations that pushed her to write «The Spirit of Ukraine» (“the spirit of Ukraine”) on camera after qualifying for the quarter-finals, Svitolina responded at a press conference that she felt she was “responsible for finding a way to win games, to bring a little glimmer, a little victory to the Ukrainian people”. “The war has been raging for almost three years. It is a daily and very heavy burden for all Ukrainians to bear.she added. “As a sportswoman, one of the best in Ukraine, I feel that I need to make my voice heard as much as possible to (help) raise awareness and raise funds” to finance “what our Ukrainian people need”.
Jaimi Joy / REUTERS
