Elina Svitolina advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 win over China's Wang Xinyu on Monday, July 8.
However, the win was overshadowed by her grief for Ukraine after a Russian airstrike on a children's hospital in Kyiv.
Svitolina wore a Wimbledon-approved black ribbon on her white top to honor the victims of the recent Russian airstrike on Ukraine.
Shortly after her match, Svitolina, tearful and emotional, spoke about the difficult day for her homeland.
She expressed, before breaking down during her on-court interview, "It's a tough day for the Ukrainian people.
Svitolina, who hails from Odesa, shared that she had struggled to find the strength to play.
She added, "When you have these sad days where you don't want to do anything, it was this kind of day for me."
The Russian airstrike, which targeted the children's hospital and other cities across Ukraine, killed at least 36 civilians in the deadliest wave of air strikes in months.
However, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed the strikes were on defense industry targets and aviation bases, denying targeting civilians.
Despite her sorrow, Svitolina is motivated to use her platform to raise awareness about the war.
She further added, "I’m playing such an amazing event ... I have to think about how I can use that in a way for Ukrainian people."
Meanwhile, she remains focused on raising funds and support for Ukrainian children through her foundation.
