Wimbledon bows to Switolina: warlike mother writes tennis fairy tales

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This woman is already the big story of this year’s Wimbledon edition. Elina Switolina (28) from Odessa, the port city on the Black Sea, famous for its beautiful beaches and monumental opera house. The Ukrainian was already invited there as a guest of honor at a film festival, but a normal return home has been ruled out due to the Russian war of aggression.

Switolina must feel like she’s in her own movie right now. It would be a dramatic thriller in which she desperately hopes for a happy ending, but also knows very well that a good ending is not in her own hands.

As far as the sporty part of this film is concerned, she has long since hit the mark. Yes, far surpassed. She defeated world number one Iga Swiatek (22) in Wimbledon and is sensationally in the semifinals. It is a tennis fairy tale that leaves everyone amazed.

Switolina gave birth to a child just nine months ago. Last October she gave birth to little Skai. It is the first offspring together with wife and former top 10 player Gaël Monfils (36). But the day of joy fell in the midst of a time of great concern for Switolina. Because even Odessa was not spared from bombs. Initially, the fear of the relatives living there almost prevented her from entering a tennis court again, she says afterwards. Her grandmother reported that missiles were being fired from ships into the center of the city.

Because of the war “quieter on the square”

Switolina has somehow managed to process this series of impressions in such a way that she can draw strength from it. Daughter Skai is her biggest motivation. And the war pushes her to the limit in every game – because as an exponent of tennis she feels “responsibility”: “The war has made me stronger, especially mentally. Difficult situations in a game are no longer a disaster for me. There are worse things in life.” The combination with the birth of her child put everything into perspective: “I have a different view of things in life. That’s why I’m calmer on the pitch.”

Switolina took a year off from the tennis tour due to her pregnancy and the former world number three only returned in April this year. In Wimbledon, she was only allowed to start directly in the main draw thanks to a wild card. But on the track you don’t notice that she’s been gone that long. And as for their charisma, their performances are stronger than ever anyway. She received an award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45) for her commitment to her homeland. And at Wimbledon, she asked the organizers: “You have to make a statement to the public that there will be no handshakes between Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian players.” This is to prevent booing from the public.

Switolina wants to use the big Wimbledon stage to give something back to her homeland: “My heart melts when I see on the internet how children in Ukraine watch the matches on their mobile phones. I am so happy that I gave them at least a a little bit of joy in life.”

If she now also beats Marketa Vondrousova (Tsch/24), she will be in the final – and there she has the chance to become the first woman to win Wimbledon with a wild card. But in her film, only one thing counts as a happy ending: peace in her country.

Source : Blick