Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, former world number 3 in tennis, told AFP her hope of one day returning home and seeing her 80-year-old grandmother, trapped in Odessa since the start of the Russian invasion. In the meantime, she gets involved, at the head of an association. “I try to keep in touch with her and help her as much as I can. She was too old to leave,” said Svitolina, United 24 ambassador to 2004 Ballon d’Or side Andriy Shevchenko.
Created on the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the association aims to raise funds to meet the needs caused by the war in Ukraine: reconstruction of the country, defense and medical aid. The country has been devastated since the launch of the Russian offensive on February 24.
“It is difficult for the elderly to find themselves in a new war (…) The lack of food, staying at home or in a cellar for days… It is extremely stressful and very hard mentally”, confessed the wife of Frenchman Gaël Monfils, who is expecting their first child, due in October.
“Many of my friends took up arms”
Although she hasn’t lived in Ukraine for years, Svitolina, 27, tries to visit three to four times a year. His parents and his brother were able to flee the country, but his uncle and grandmother remained in Odessa. A disturbing situation for the young woman and which takes precedence over her joy as a future mother. “Many of my friends returned to Ukraine and took up arms to defend the country,” confided the ex-world number 3 who won 16 titles on the WTA circuit, for his part; Svitolina she intends to bring her stone to the building.
Absent from Roland-Garros in June, Svitolina has not played in competition since his elimination in the first round of the Miami tournament on March 24. The 2019 Wimbledon and US Open semi-finalist recalled the importance of continuing to inform world public opinion about the conflict, after several months of war and no end in sight. “I have so much pain in me to see so many cities destroyed and how many people have lost their lives. »