Elina Svitolina Pledges Prize Money To Ukrainian Army Ahead Of Monterrey Open

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has announced that all prize money she wins at Monterrey Open will go to the Ukrainian army

Svitolina who is against the Russian invasion defeated Russia’s Anastasia Potapova — who was not competing under the Russian flag following new sanctions from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) — 6-2 6-1 to reach the second round in Mexico.

Svitolina had originally said she would not compete on the WTA Tour against players from Russia or Belarus competing under their respective flags following the invasion of Ukraine but reversed her decision after Tuesday’s joint ruling from the ITF, WTA, and ATP.

“It’s a very, very special event this one for me. All the prize money that I’m going to earn here is going to the Ukrainian army,” she said in her on-court interview. “So thank you so much for your support.

“In general, I was just focused,” she added. “I was on a mission for my country.”

Svitolina, the No. 1 seed in Monterrey and its 2020 champion will face Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova in the second round.

“It’s a very special atmosphere each time that I play here and especially today it’s a very special match for me and moment,” she said.

“I’m in a very sad mood, but I’m happy that I’m here playing tennis”, she added.