Emotional message to Ukrainians
Switolina’s Wimbledon fairy tale ends in tears
7/14/2023 7:23 am
Ukraine’s Jelina Switolina’s Wimbledon heroic journey ends in the semifinals. The 28-year-old struggles with her performance after losing to the Czech Marketa Vondrousova and later fights back tears. Nevertheless, she has achieved an incredible amount. Also for their compatriots.
Slowly she lowers her head, reaches for her bag, then quickly down from the seat. Pros can’t stand losing. Then also so close to the goal. But Elena Switolina pauses a few steps from the exit of Center Court. First she lifts her head, looks around at the audience again, and then her left hand. Immediately, the next wave of jubilation breaks out over the round, as if the Ukrainian had reached the final after all.
But the 28-year-old’s Wimbledon fairy tale came to an abrupt end this Thursday. Switolina lost in the semifinals of the classic lawn game against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova 3: 6, 3: 6. The pressure to make their compatriots suffering from the Russian war of aggression happy seemed too great for them this time. In the past few days she had always emphasized that she wanted to use her successes to provide some distraction for the people from her home country.
“I’m disappointed with my performance today. It was a good tournament overall. But I didn’t play well today,” said Switolina, who kept fighting back tears in the press conference that followed. There was actually nothing to be seen this time of her power tennis, with which she had thrown the Polish world number one Swiatek out of the tournament in the previous round.
“Today she is British”
Switolina receives a final and long standing ovation as she leaves Center Court. Of which there were so many in London. Nobody gets louder applause in London this year. The viewers have fallen in love with the 28-year-old over the past few days. The otherwise so gentle tennis audience souls shriek and scream at the top of their lungs. With her rousing play, her bold demeanor and her fairy tale story, the young mother is made for a heroic story. “Today she is British,” says a security guard as she is about to lose in the semifinals.
Switolina may be thinking about all the things she has achieved in just under two weeks as she lingers on the green again. That despite being eliminated from Wimbledon, she has won more than ever before in her career. That a whole tournament, a whole country has taken her to the heart. And that the tennis player was able to send a message of strength to her battered fellow citizens in the midst of Russia’s war of aggression. And so she formulated an emotional message to her compatriots after the defeat. “It’s about believing in yourself. And keep dreaming and do everything to make your dream come true,” said Switolina.
Vondrousova only wobbles briefly
Switolina gave up her serve three times in the first set, after just 29 minutes Vondrousova won the first round. In the second set, Switolina managed almost nothing for a long time. Vondrousova quickly pulled away to 4-0, but then at the score of 4-0, 40-0 it seemed to have something to do with her nerves. Switolina came back to 3:4 and seemed to be able to turn the game around. But then Vondrousova recovered and made the surprising finals perfect. For the Czech it is the second final in one of the four most important tournaments of the tennis season. The 24-year-old was already in the final at the French Open in 2019, but had to admit defeat in Paris to Australian Ashleigh Barty, who has since retired. After a long injury break, she is back – and is about to achieve the greatest success of her career.
What the Ukrainian Switolina has achieved in sport is unbelievable despite the defeat. Leaving almost the entire world elite behind you six months after giving birth – much more is not possible. It’s only been three months since her comeback. Incomprehensible. Only three mothers have managed to win a Grand Slam title: the Belgian Kim Clijsters and Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong (1980 as the only mother with a Wimbledon title).