Elina Svitolina will not return to the courts at Roland-Garros. Still “very distressed” by the war in Ukraine, the 27th world has decided to give up the Parisian Grand Slam (May 22-June 5).
On March 29, a month after the start of the conflict led by the Russian army, the companion of Gaël Monfils announced that she was taking a break without specifying the duration of her absence. She said she was already physically and psychologically exhausted, both from persistent back pain and from events in her country. And almost two months later, she is unable to resume competition and participate in Roland-Garros.
“Unfortunately not this year. I’m going to miss it,” said Elina Svitolina, whose last match dates back to March 24 and her elimination in the first round of the Miami Masters 1000 against Britain’s Heather Watson (4-6, 6-3, 7-6). If she prefers to concentrate on family and on her foundation, she is still very affected by the war which is raging in Ukraine, and in particular by the strikes which affect her native city of Odessa.
“Mentally it’s exhausting to see all these terrible things happening to people and not knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow or in an hour, it’s very scary,” she added. (…) It is a permanent concern.” A concern that will prevent him from being present at the French Open for the first time since his first participation in 2013.