Elina Svitolina credits her country Ukraine for her resilience at the Australian Open so far

Ukrainian Elina Svitolina attributes her toughness to her homeland after defeating Jasmine Paolini in the third round of Australian Open.

Elina Svitolina (via X)

23rd ranked Elina Svitolina produced a significant upset in her third round match at the Australian Open 2025. After defeating World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, Svitolina appeared for a brief on court interview.

Recognizing her resilience and citing her toughness as a competitor, the interviewer asked Svitolina to share the source of her fighting spirit. Svitolina attributed her resilience to her home country Ukrainian, remarking that the fighting spirit is deeply embedded in their blood.

It comes from all the Ukrainians.. In so many levels we show resilience. We are fighting for what is ours… Fighting spirit is in our blood.
Elina Svitolina said via Australian Open on court interview

Svitolina also discussed her impressive win that advanced her to the fourth round. She acknowledged her poor performance in the first set which she conceded to Jasmine Paolini. However she delivered a dominant comeback, with a freshly baked bagel in the third set.

FS Video

Elina Svitolina spoke about where her resilience comes from after reaching Australian Open R16

“It comes from all the Ukrainians.. In so many levels we show resilience. We are fighting for what is ours… Fighting spirit is in our blood.” 💙💛

pic.twitter.com/vvKwrHz0e4
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 18, 2025

Svitolina expressed satisfaction with her comeback, emphasizing the adjustments she made to become more aggressive and focused during the match. She triumphed with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. Alongside her impressive victory, her husband Gael Monfils had also triumphed in his third round match today against Taylor Fritz.

(Video) Danielle Collins walks out to a barrage of boos from the Australian Open crowd before her match against Maddison Keys

Elina Svitolina’s advocacy for Ukraine

Elina Svitolina has been an outspoken advocate for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. The Russia-Ukraine war, which has been going on since February 2022, involves Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, escalating a conflict that started in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Svitolina has time and again used her platform to raise awareness and support for her homeland. Svitolina’s dedication to her nation is further exemplified by her philanthropic efforts. She has also been actively involved in raising funds to support Ukrainian children affected by the war.

While many feel politics should be left out of sports, throughout the conflict, Svitolina has urged Russian and Belarusian athletes to publicly declare their stance on the war. She has reiterated the importance of these players speaking out, stating that their silence leaves uncertainty about their positions and potential support for their governments’ actions.

“Nice dancers there for few minutes,” Novak Djokovic proposes distinctive changes to the Australian Open and other Grand Slam events

Interestingly, Svitolina will face Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the fourth round of the Australian Open 2025. Her husband Gael Monfils will face Ben Shelton in his fourth round match. Svitolina, the former World No. 3 had her best run at the Australian Open in 2018 and 2019 where she reached the quarterfinals.