Billie Jean King Cup: Elina Svitolina opens up on her new mission with Ukraine’s women’s tennis team
Elina Svitolina is on a mission to improve the support systems for women’s tennis in Ukraine.
Svitolina is using her foundation to make a real difference for her compatriots.
She feels that Ukraine can be a force to be reckoned with in the Billie Jean King Cup with the depth of talent they have.
“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 organisation 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 organises youth competitions, offers mental health services to younger athletes, and hosts summer camp programmes. She also inked a deal with a TV network to guarantee that tennis matches be shown throughout Ukraine.
She hopes that tennis can be a force for good in Ukraine.
“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 accepted that she is moving into a new phase in her career and appears to be prepared to take a leadership role away from the 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,” Svitolina added.
“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,” she said.
