Switolina is a thorn in Russia’s side and plays as mother for the Wimbledon victory Alcaraz clearly defeats Rune + Jabeur succeeds in final revenge + Eubank’s fairy tale to the end

“I hope you win the tournament”: the message Iga Swiatek gave to her conqueror on the net was unmistakable and quite well reflects the mood in Wimbledon. Elina Switolina managed to conquer people’s hearts with her story.

The Ukrainian says: “For me, a new chapter in life has started for two reasons.” One reason was chosen: in October 2022, she and French tennis player Gaël Monfils became parents of a daughter, Skaï. The other is fate: the Russian offensive war in Ukraine. The 28-year-old says: “The war and motherhood have made me a different person. The war has made me stronger.”

When she goes on the field, she’s not just playing for herself, but for an entire country. And sometimes Switolina plays not only someone on the other side of the net, but also what she embodies evil. Then she will meet a Russian or Belarusian like Viktoria Azarenka in the eighth finals. Switolina says: “Then I feel more pressure to win. Ukrainians fight for their values, for freedom. And I’m fighting here on my front line.”

“Second happiest moment of my life”

After the birth of her daughter, the victory against Azarenka at Wimbledon was “the second happiest moment of my life”. It fills her with pride and satisfaction when she can bring some happiness into the lives of the people of Ukraine with her victories. It melts her heart to find out how happy her compatriots were, Svitolina said.

After the match, Switolina refrained from shaking hands, as she has done since her return in April after matches against opponents from Russia and Belarus. Knowing this, Azarenka did not wait at the net, but waved his hand to Svitolina for her performance. Since the audience couldn’t see that, they interpreted that as Azarenka’s refusal and chased her out when she left the seat.

No handshake with Belarusians and Russians

In Paris, Svitolina said: «I feel anger and sadness, darkness and pain in my heart. It is a heaviness that I cannot escape, that no one in Ukraine can escape. But I’m also grateful to have a voice to raise.” A flag she plays for, for an entire country, for her home country of Ukraine.

In London, she says: “As long as Russian troops are in Ukraine, as long as we don’t get our country back, I won’t shake hands with Russians and Belarusians.” Not out of disrespect, but because she doesn’t want the gesture taken out of context.

Any refusal to shake hands with a Russian or Belarusian puts an end to daydreaming and exploiting sporting successes for propaganda purposes. In fact, every Ukrainian victory, every success, every title has the opposite effect. That makes Svitolina a thorn in Russia’s side.

Only four mothers won at Wimbledon

Switolina won 17 tournaments, was number 3 in the world and was among the top players in the world for many years. She was the epitome of consistency, but she only reached the semifinals twice at Grand Slam tournaments, at Wimbledon in 2019 and at the US Open. She was only twice in the quarterfinals of two consecutive major tournaments.

Now she succeeds in her first two tournaments after her return. The story that war and motherhood have made her a different person is not a beautiful illusion, but a fact.

The history of Wimbledon dates back to 1877 and the women’s tournament has existed since 1884. Only four women have managed to win the tournament as mothers: Blanche Bingley, Charlotte Cooper and Dorothe Lambert Chambers between 1894 and 1914. In modern times, only Australia’s Evonne Goolagong-Cawley managed the feat in 1980.

A tournament victory for Switolina would also be historic, as no player with a wild card has ever succeeded – so far only Goran Ivanisevic has succeeded in 2001 in the men’s tournament. It is quite possible that Switolina will not only play for Ukraine and herself in the final, should she make it, but also against a Belarusian with Arina Sabalenka. (aargauerzeitung.ch)