Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina has decided to step away from competition for a while, in order to heal her back and process the pain she feels because of the ongoing war in her home country.
The world No.20 Svitolina needs some time to rest from both physical and mental stress, so she decided to skip the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers in April and a few of her favorite tournaments in Europe.
The 27-year-old explained on social media:
For quite a long time I’ve been struggling with my back. The pain didn’t let me prepare for the tournaments at my best. Meanwhile, observing with unbearable pain in my heart what is happening in my homeland Ukraine and with how much bravery and courage our Ukrainian people are defending our country, this gave me a huge push to continue and fight on court. Now, my body can’t handle it any more and I need to rest.
The last match Svitolina played was a three-set loss to Heather Watson in the second round of the Miami Open. In the end of her announcement, the two-time Grand Slam semifinalist assured us that the break would not be too long and that she would be back soon.
