Elina Svitolina is working to improve the support systems for women’s tennis in Ukraine. The Ukrainian is using her foundation to bring a change and help her WTA compatriots.
She feels that Ukraine can be a force to be reckoned with in the Billie Jean King Cup with all the talent pool they have at their disposal.
“We try to have a new approach, try to involve different kinds of things to the team, because I feel like before we had a very simple, very old style with many years of the organization and now we try to really bring something different, try to really be involved in this,” Svitolina explained.
“I feel like we have a great team, we have so many good girls right now in the top 100 and even outside. Everyone is pumped to play and now with the new format as well, I feel like we can be one of the strongest teams.
“Now there are more people watching tennis, more people involved, more kids wanting to become a tennis player.”
In addition, Svitolina is organizing youth events and hosts summer camp programs while also providing psychological support to younger athletes. She also signed a deal with a TV network to make sure that tennis matches are getting broadcasted throughout the war-ravaged Ukraine. The WTA star believes tennis as a sport can be used to boost the morale of Ukrainians in hard times.
“It’s altogether, a mixture that really promotes tennis in Ukraine,” she added.
“This is, I feel, a great step forward. For me, I take it as my kind of mission to promote tennis, to promote sport in Ukraine. Because right now all the news are taken over by the war and for kids, it’s I think mentally very tough, seeing their parents under so much pressure, not knowing what the future holds for them.
“So at least for one or two hours, for a short period of time, to bring them those happy moments, moments where they can express themselves, where they can really enjoy doing something they love, enjoy sport.
“Many psychologists said that through sport, people release a lot of stress. So this is my mission right now, to make this happen, and I think with Billie Jean King Cup and the team we can really make a big step forward.”
Svitolina has already taken up a new role in her career and appears to be great at leading the youngsters when away from court.
“It was difficult time for me to really accept that it is how it is right now, I have to deal with more injuries than I used to before,” she said.
“It’s always juggling between being match-ready, and being practice-ready, where you feel good but when you step on court for the match, it’s a completely different intensity, completely different feeling.”