Ukrainian Elina Svitolina reveals motivation behind her win over Russian opponent Veronika Kudermetova at the Australian Open
Elina Svitolina has a firm stance against Russian players since the start of the war, refusing to shake hands with them after the match.
Follow Us
Elina Svitolina (via X)
Elina Svitolina shared that she hopes to bring “a little light” to the people of Ukraine after her victory at the Australian Open 2025. The 30-year-old reached the quarterfinals on Monday (January 20) by defeating Russian player Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets.
The match took place at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, where Svitolina won 6-4, 6-1. She will now face American Madison Keys in the next round as she continues her strong run in the tournament.
I was extremely motivated to play a Russian. I wanted people in Ukraine to wake up to good news.
Elina Svitolina said in her post-match press conference at the Australian Open
In line with her stance against the war, Svitolina chose not to shake hands with her Russian opponent. After the win, she wrote “The spirit of Ukraine” on a TV camera lens to send a message of support.
Svitolina. "I was extremely motivated to play a Russian. I wanted people in Ukraine to wake up to good news".
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 20, 2025
She was also asked about… Trump. "There is a lot of talks about what it's going to be with him. No one knows what's gonna happen. Let's wait". https://t.co/E0FUEdNSqx
Svitolina, who is from Odesa, emphasized that she cannot imagine shaking hands with a Russian, even if the war ends. Her position reflects the deep personal impact the conflict has had on her.
Elina Svitolina makes history at the Australian Open
Former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina is continuing to achieve strong results in Grand Slam events. She has reached her 12th career Grand Slam quarterfinal, marking her first at the Australian Open since 2019.
Svitolina’s success at Grand Slam events has remained impressive since her return from maternity leave in 2023. This marks her fourth quarterfinal appearance at a major tournament since she gave birth to her daughter, Skai, in 2022.
In previous years, Svitolina reached the Australian Open quarterfinals in both 2018 and 2019. Last year, she came close to making another quarterfinal but was forced to retire in the fourth round due to a back injury.
This year, the Ukrainian ace has gone even further in Melbourne, making it to the quarterfinals. Her second-round win over Caroline Dolehide also made history, as she became the first Ukrainian player of any gender to earn 100 main-draw wins at Grand Slam events.
Stay Updated!
Fahad Hamid
(643 Articles Published)