Tennis
Elina SVITOLINA: “Why don’t we shake hands with the Russians? This is the position of the Ukrainians”
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina (WTA 192) held a press conference after defeating Anna Blinkova (WTA 56) in the round of 16 at the French Open 2023.
Elina explained in detail to reporters why Ukrainian athletes did not shake hands with representatives of 404 countries:
– I want to ask a very direct question, but would you like Russian and Belarusian players to say “Yes, I want my country to stop this war”? Do you think this will be helpful and what can they do?
– Yes, I would love to. Definitely. I think almost all Ukrainians would like to hear this from their side.
– Continuing with the topic, can you explain to us why you didn’t shake hands with your opponent today? What do you think about booing the audience when you are supported even though the fans are behind you during the match?
– You know, our government, which went to meetings with the Russian government, started with the Ukrainian government. They were against the handshake because they obviously do not share the same values and what they did is the same as what the Russians did to our country.
That’s why Ukrainians don’t shake hands with Russians. We are Ukrainians, we are all united for one purpose, for the sake of victory in this war, and we are doing everything we can for this, this is our position.
I am Ukrainian. I stand for my country. I am doing my best to support and give a good mood to the men and women who are currently on the front lines fighting for our land, for our country.
Can you imagine a boy or girl on the front lines looking at me right now and I’m acting like nothing happened? I represent my country. I have a voice I am on the Ukrainian side. I stand, I have my position in this war. What the Russian government or Russian soldiers have done on our land is truly terrible.
For us, it’s just our position on the matter, and it covers a lot of different areas. This applies to sports, acting and other things, it affects various fields. So, you know, we are all one Ukrainians. And this is our position.
– In the next round you will play with Kasatkina. He was against the war in Ukraine. He spoke louder than anyone else in Russia on this subject. I wonder what you think of him and what he does.
– Yes, I am grateful to Dasha for taking such a position. This is what we expect from others. That’s very brave for him.
Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.
They will face each other in the 3rd round of the Australian Open on January 23 Elina Svitolina (WTA 12) and Diana Schneider (WTA 22).
The meeting is planned to start at 10:00 Kyiv time.
Sport.ua together with a betting partner bet announcing the upcoming fight!
Elina Svitolina
Ukraine’s first racquet is having an excellent season; He confirmed his top seed status by winning the tournament in Auckland. Svitolina started her journey in this tournament by defeating Spanish athlete Cristina Buxa with scores of 6:4, 6:1. In the second round, she managed to defeat Polish Linda Klimovichova with sets of 7:5 and 6:1.
The Ukrainian player increased his first serve percentage in the second match compared to the first match: 64% versus 49%. The upcoming opponent for Elina is the toughest opponent of the season, this applies both in terms of ratings and class. Potentially, Svitolina could play the winner of Mirra Andreeva – Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the next round.
Diana Schneider
“Nötrka” has already managed to play in two tournaments this season, looked good and was ahead of its rivals in the top 10. In Brisbane, Schneider defeated another former “neutral” Anastasia Potapova, representing Austria, 6:1, 6:3. And then, in the tough fight, Madison Keys was defeated with scores of 7:6, 6:7, 6:7.
In Adelaide, the athlete defeated the following rivals: Leila Fernandez – 7:5, 6:3, Katerina Sinyakova – 6:1, 2:6, 7:5, followed by a victory over American Emma Navarro – 6:3, 6:3. Only in the semifinals did Mirra Andreeva lose with sets of 3:6, 2:6. At the Australian Open, the tennis player started with victories of 2:6, 6:3, 6:3 against the experienced Czech Barbora Krejcikova. The match against Australian Tallia Gibson was incredibly difficult – 3:6, 7:5, 6:3 and she managed to win three match points in the second set.
Match prediction
As statistics show, the rivals never played each other. The Ukrainian athlete is seen as the slight favorite of this pair. Svitolina is ten years older than him and has more experience.
In such a confrontation, a stubborn struggle that can lead to any outcome should be expected. There is no need to remind how important the match against the “neutral” will be for the Ukrainians. Here I would risk betting more than 20.5 total games for 1.64.
Elina Svitolina01/23/2026 –
10:00
Diana Schneider 1.64 place a bet KRAIL License No. 559 dated 12/05/2024 Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.
Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev He reacted to the interview with a Ukrainian woman at the press conference Alexandra Oleynikova For the L’Équipe publication in which he accused the Russians of supporting Putin:
– The Ukrainian tennis player said that, in his opinion, Russians should not be allowed to participate in international tennis tournaments. He also condemned players, including you, for participating in an exhibition match sponsored by a major Russian oil company with ties to the war in Ukraine. How will you react to this?
– In general, I respect everyone’s every opinion. I’m trying… It’s a little different on the field, isn’t it? However, I respect all opinions off the field. “This is his opinion and frankly I have nothing to say about it,” Medvedev said.
Oleinikova’s words were also commented on by Arina Sabalenko and Diana Schneider, whom Oleinikova also mentioned in her interview.
Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.
18 years old “neutral” Mirra Andreeva He sent fans away after the match at the Australian Open 2026.
On January 21, Andreeva defeated Maria Sakkari in the 1/32 final with scores of 6:0 and 6:4. After the end of the fight, Mirra said “Fuck you all” to applauding fans. Naturally, this was inaudible, but you can literally read this sentence on your lips.
On the 23rd, Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse will play against Andreeva. The meeting will start around 12:00 Kyiv time.
VIDEO. “To hell with you all” Andreeva told fans after her match at the Australian Open
Did he say what I thought he said???? 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/qH9hxmE0VX
— Lorena Popa 🕵️♀️🎾 (@popalorena) January 21, 2026
Source: Sport UA
I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.
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