As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine rages on, more and more devastating updates continue to emerge. One of the many things that have suffered considerable damage due to this conflict is tennis courts in both countries. In a recent development, it was revealed that Russian strikes severely damaged tennis courts in Rivne and Lutsk. Turns out that Rivne is the hometown of World No. 248 Katarina Zavatska, who was left heartbroken because of the attacks.

“My heart truly hurts,” she said in a statement. “Russian bombs have destroyed so many beautiful things in my hometown and taken away the most precious thing of all – human lives. There are no words to describe this pain. I’m not talking about myself, but about my family.”

But Zavatska hasn’t given up hope and believes that the courts can be rebuilt. Thus, she has started a fundraiser and has urged people and her fans to donate so that the children in Rivne can have their tennis club back.

“I want to help rebuild the tennis court in my hometown of Rivne, Ukraine, so that children can return to training, keep growing, and continue chasing their dreams,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I would be truly grateful to everyone who can contribute to this fundraiser. Every donation, no matter the amount, makes a difference and brings us one step closer to restoring the court where children can continue doing what they love and believing in their dreams.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, kindness, and generosity. Together, we can give these children back a place where dreams are born,” the post further read.

Notably, Zavatska had previously held a tennis clinic for children in Rivne. But now the courts there have been destroyed. She knows how important the club was for the children who were planning to take up tennis and thus wants it to be repaired as soon as possible.

Zavatska is one of the most prominent WTA players of her country. Despite her low ranking, she was still selected for Ukraine’s team in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. They went all the way to the final, where they eventually came up short against Czechia.

With her ranking being below the top 200, Zavatska doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to feature on the WTA Tour. Her latest appearance came at the WTA 125 event in Suzhou. She entered the tournament as a qualifier, but unexpectedly reached the quarterfinals. The 26-year-old was defeated by Renata Zarazua 6-1, 7-6.

Like Zavatska, Oleksandra Oliynykova is another Ukrainian player who has openly spoken about the painful state of her homeland. She let people know about the emotional reality of tennis in Ukraine through a controversial but effective move earlier at the French Open.

Oleksandra Oliynykova got emotional while reflecting on Ukraine’s conflict with Russia

After defeating Elena Pridankina at Roland Garros, Oliynykova unexpectedly pulled out her phone and showed a picture that shocked many. The picture displayed a destroyed tennis center in Ukraine that had reportedly been struck by Russia’s attacks.

Oliynykova then got emotional and revealed that it was the facility where she trained during her childhood. She also highlighted how much the place meant to her.

“The courts where I spent my childhood,” she had said during the post-match press conference. “I was practicing there for so many years. And yeah, of course, when I saw this…I mean, this is a huge part of my childhood memories. When I see something like this happening, it hurts me so much, and this is something so painful to see.”

Tennis has been affected in both Ukraine and Russia due to the conflict. It is the next generation of players who are suffering the most due to this, as many of them are left with no courts to play. Several of them may even be forced to give up tennis for good because of the conflict.