Photo credit: Tony Chang/Chang Photography
Elina Svitolina is never alone when she steps on the singles court.
Svitolina carries the courage of her Ukrainian people—including her grandmother, who still lives in Odessa—onto court.
Competing with a cause, Svitolina fought off fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to charge into her 21st WTA 1000 quarterfinal at Indian Wells.
The 23rd-ranked Svitolina snapped Austin champion Pegula’s seven-match winning streak to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since the 2021 Rome.
The Indian Wells baseline is a long way from the Ukrainian front lines.
No one understands that better than Svitolina herself, who pulled the plug on her 2024 season after undergoing foot surgery last September.
Thriving in Tennis Paradise, Svitolina’s spirited run comes four months after fellow Ukrainians shared their stories of living through the hellfire of war.
In her return to Kharkiv last December, Svitolina came within about 20 kilometers of the front line, talked to Ukrainian soldiers and met some of their wives who shared their fears and the emotional ravages war has taken on the families and communities with her.
While she’s seen heart-breaking and horrific scenes, Svitolina says returning home has also been empowering and eye-opening for her.
“If you ask me, where do I find the motivation to fight in sports arenas? This is my country, my people, my Kharkiv and our heroes," Svitolina said in a social media post during her trip home last December.
Competing this week, Svitolina said she’s tried to limit current-event consumption right before matches.
“Well, I mean, we're all humans,” Svitolina said. “We get used to the situations. It's been over three years now the war is ongoing.
“I feel like right now, you know, I try to really split the time where I'm looking at the news or I'm checking, checking the news still every day, couple times a day, especially right now where there is a lot of news coming.
"Yeah, there is time for that and there is time also for tennis. There is time for training and recovery and just completely switch off from everything.”
Former world No. 3 Svitolina has been an American dream killer this week defeating three talented U.S. women—Ashlyn Krueger, Miami and Charleston champion Danielle Collins and US Open finalist Pegula—-in succession.
Despite denying U.S. women on their home soil, Svitolina said she feels American fans are her allies—and took to social media to thank them for their “massive support.”
In her post-match presser on Tuesday night, Svitolina said her post was based on positive personal support she’s received rather than a veiled political statement on ongoing efforts by the U.S. government to broker a case-fire between Russia and Ukraine.
“I feel like since that meeting in the Oval Office, I got a lot of messages of support from the American people and also, you know, a lot of people here when I arrived at the tournament where, you know, just giving the love and support to Ukrainians for people back at home,” Svitolina told the media in Indian Wells. “So, yes, it's just based on a personal experience that I had here.
“Also the massive support that I got taking in consideration that I played three American girls back to back to back.
"So, yeah, it's an amazing, really special to get that, taking in consideration, you know, all the stress that all Ukrainians are facing right now back at home.”
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Parting is painful: every time Svitolina leaves for a return to Ukraine she experiences "a very emotional" good-bye o husband Gael Monfils and their 2-year-old daughter, Skai Monfils.
“Yes, Gael gets very nervous before the trips. Of course he is afraid for me, for the family,” Elina told German publication Bild this week. “But I try to talk to him and explain the situation to him. I try to explain the safety regulations to him.
"I also think of my family, but I feel a great pain for my country. I am one of the voices of Ukraine around the world.
"This is my mission."
Every tournament draw tells a unique story.
This Indian Wells quarterfinal presents an intriguing quarterfinal clash between players from neighboring nations in conflict.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian Svitolina will play 17-year-old Russian sensation Mirra Andreeva while their nations are reportedly trying to work out a cease-fire.
The 11th-ranked Andreeva thrashed 2023 champion Elena Rybakina 6-1, 6-2, sustaining her surge as a break-out star of this young season.
Dubai champion Andreeva scored her ninth straight WTA !000 win—she’s the youngest woman to win nine in a row at the 1000 level since the formats induction—and said recalls watching Svitolina play at the US Open and dreaming of facing her as a pro.
"I remember in 2019, 2020, '21, I don't remember, on some US Open, she was playing against Simona Halep, and that was the match that it was my first match that I watched live, and we came and I was watching their match and I was, like, yes, I'm going to play here one day," Andreeva said of Svitolina.
Coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, Andreeva said she tries to block out the conflict between the countries when she faces a Ukrainian opponent and focus purely on her game.
“Of course it's not easy, but, you know, I have played maybe, I don't know, four or five matches against Ukrainian players,” Andreeva said. “And me, I just try not to think about it. I just try to focus on my game, to do my routines, to prepare myself that it's not going to be easy.
“Yeah, I'm just going to try to prepare for this match as for every other match, and nothing's going to change for me. So yeah, I'm just going to do my routines and stick to what I have been doing a week before.”
On court, Svitolina, whose foundation has raised about 1.5 Million Euros for Ukraine, said she strives to channel emotional power from the pride and passion her people display amid the death and destruction of a three-year war.
Svitolina says she's playing for a collective cause in Tennis Paradise.
“I feel like it's something that I try to do for my country,” Svitolina said.
“You know, to see my flag raising and, you know, to see the tick with the wind from my country.”