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Elina Svitolina: The star and the kids who play on through horror

Sports Insight Banner
By Sophie Williams
BBC News
Elina Svitolina walks out ahead of Marketa Vondrousova before their Wimbledon semi-finalGetty Images

Svitolina, who was given a wild card into the main draw, comes on to court for her Wimbledon semi-final in July, followed by Czech opponent and eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova

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As the crowd cheered Elina Svitolina on to Centre Court for her Wimbledon semi-final, millions of people back in her native Ukraine tuned in to .

They have been a constant. Sheltering from Russian shells in bomb shelters and underground stations, they have still found a screen to watch.

And as Ukraine s Svitolina, so Svitolina s Ukraine.

Just months before her run to the last four at the All England Club in July 2023, Svitolina had been in her home country, seeing the damage of the invasion first hand. She was back again in November. Each time, she is struck by "the horror and the consequences" of the Russian invasion.

"It was a mixture of feelings for sure," she tells BBC Sport of her trips home.

"It is amazing to be back, but also a bit scary because the big cities are under air raid alert all the time.

"But what surprised me was the spirit of the people. The unbreakable spirit that they built over the two years of the war is amazing."

Some of that spirit, born of conflict, travelled with Svitolina into the rarefied surroundings of the All England Club.

As her Wimbledon semi-final against Marketa Vondrousova went on, as she faced big points, Svitolina thought back to the people she had met at home.

"Those brave soldiers that are defending our country," she says. "I think about those people, how they feel when they are there facing really dangerous moments. And there's me in the perfect conditions in Centre Court at Wimbledon, just playing tennis.

"So why should I be so nervous">