Tennis player Svitolina changes her racket for a rocket launcher on the war front in Ukraine

The tennis star Elina Svitolinacurrent number 23 in the world according to the ranking WTAsurprised his followers by changing his racket for a rocket launcher and a machine gun during a visit to Kharkiv, Ukraineduring the season break. The athlete, known for using her platform to make visible the impact of the war in her native country, shared images of her experience on social networks.

In instagramthe 30-year-old tennis player expressed her connection with Kharkiv, a key city in her personal and professional development: “Kharkov has a special place in my heart. The city that gave me the feeling of being at home when I started my professional career here at 12 years. The city that continues to provide me with warmth and protection during the great war. If you ask me where I find the motivation to fight in sports stadiums, this is my country, my people, my Kharkov and our heroes.”

Married to a tennis player Gael MonfilsSvitolina often returns to Ukraine in her free time to support her community. According to the media Bildthe athlete dedicates part of her time to activities related to the resistance against the Russian invasion. However, he will soon have to leave his native country to focus on preparing for the Australian Openwhich will be played in just over a month.

Svitolina’s career is one of the most successful in the history of Ukrainian tennis. He has reached number 3 in the world ranking in singles and 108 in doubles, in addition to having accumulated 17 titles in the WTA Tour. His journey in sports began at the age of five in the city of Odessawhere he lived with his athletic parents and older brother.

A decisive moment in his life came when his family moved to Kharkiv to promote his tennis career. It was not an easy path, as her mother had to abandon her career as a professional bowler to prioritize Elina’s training.

“At that time my mother was interested in professional bowling. She trained seven or eight hours a day, but she had to stop. For the first few months I was alone in Kharkiv, in a rented apartment. It was very important to return before it got dark,” noted Svitolina in a past interview with Daily Mail.

The tennis player, who describes Kharkiv as “an interesting city and very different from Odessa”, also highlighted the economic challenges her family faced in her youth. “When we moved to Kharkiv, it was a time of crisis. My father was in the real estate business and it was very difficult. We lived on a tight budget that we could spend on food,” he said.

Despite adversity, those years forged her independence and mental strength, qualities that now accompany her on the professional circuit and in her work as an ambassador for the sport and her country.

Her symbolic visit to Kharkiv is a reminder of Svitolina’s unbreakable bond with Ukraine and her commitment to keeping the spotlight on the war affecting her nation alive.