Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina described 2022 as “the happiest and the most tragic year” for her. On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. In May, Svitolina announced that she and her husband Gael Monfils were expecting their first child.
This past October, Svitolina and Monfils became parents to a baby girl Skai. Seeing her country invaded put Svitolina in major distress, but becoming a mother brought some happiness.
Svitolina on her year
“This year has been both the happiest and the most tragic for me.
The moment when I found out that Gael and I were going to have a child, the war broke out in my country. Even now, I still can’t fully describe what I was feeling at that moment. I felt hurt and powerless because I couldn’t stop this terrible war.
However, I made a decision to take action. On the 2nd of December, we held the 3rd edition of the charity gala. There, we raised over €240,000 for the Elina Svitolina Foundation and the United24 program launched by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
For this, I want to THANK my dear friends, guests and partners! No matter what the future brings, we will continue to take actions for Ukraine and help young talents! Glory to Ukraine,” Svitolina wrote on Instagram.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Svitolina decided to continue playing.
In early March, Svitolina made the Monterrey quarterfinal. Then, Svitolina picked up back-to-back surprise defeats to Harriet Dart and Heather Watson in Indian Wells and Miami. After the Sunshine Double, Svitolina announced she was taking an indefinite break from tennis.
Svitolina, a former world No 3, has plummeted to No 241 in the world. In a recent interview, Svitolina admitted that she misses the competition and that she is looking forward to returning to the Tour. It remains to be seen if Svitolina can have a big comeback in 2023.
