Elina Svitolina is coming at the back of a fantastic victory against Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round of this year’s Wimbledon Championships. In what appeared to be an easy victory for Azarenka after she pocketed the first set 6-2, she lost momentum in the second and the thrilling third set went the way of Svitolina. Thus, Svitolina has been a giant killer in this tournament taking down some big names like Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, and now Azarenka-all of who are grand slam champions.

But the real test for Svitolina comes in the form of the in-form world no.1 Iga Swiatek. She has been playing some amazing tennis and her mental fortitude was put to the test when she had to save two match points against Belinda Bencic in her round of 16 match. Even though grass is Swiatek’s least desired surface, she seems to have found some rhythm. Ahead of the tough encounter, Svitolina had some kind words for Swiatek, especially for her continued support for Ukraine.

Elina Svitolina on facing Iga Swiatek

Svitolina praised Swiatek for her continued support for Ukraine amidst the country’s conflict with Russia and Belarus. She said, “She?s a great champion & a great person. I?m really thankful for her support of Ukrainians, doing everything in her power.. My priority is to recover. I?ll sit down with my coach, go over a game plan to see if I can find a way to beat her?.

This excerpt of the interview was posted on Twitter by the ‘Tennis Letter’.

Both these players are riding high on confidence after coming from behind to vanquish their opponents. Swiatek’s game has improved a lot on grass but the former world no.3 brought her experience into play, as she battled past the Pole in three sets.

Swiatek has always supported Ukraine in all possible ways ever since the Russia-Ukraine war started. So it was a match between two friends.

Iga Swiatek’s support for Ukraine

Swiatek has always been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war situation. She stressed that she wants to use sports as a medium to spread peace and end the conflict. During this year’s win against Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in Rome, Tsurenko thanked Swiatek after the match.

Read more: World No.1 Female Tennis Star Turns Activist in an Honest Attempt to Unify Players Against the Ongoing Ukraine-Russia Conflict

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