Elina Svitolina: "Iga Swiatek is a great champion, a great person; I'm really thankful for her support of Ukrainians"

Elina Svitolina has expressed her gratitude to Iga Swiatek for always being vocal in her support of Ukraine and its people.

Ukraine has come under the spotlight last year when Russia invaded the country. The two nations have since been at war and it has had an effect on various walks of life across the world, including tennis.

Last year, Russian and Belarusian players were banned from taking part in Wimbledon, though the decision was reversed this season. It is an issue that has divided players too, with some choosing to stay silent and others being vocal of their views.

Swiatek has been vocal about her support for Ukraine over the last few months. She added a ribbon on her hat that represented Ukraine’s flag. When the International Olympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in global sporting events, she was quick to state that principles related to war shouldn't be compromised.

Svitolina defeated Belarusian Victoria Azarenka at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Sunday to set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal clash with Swiatek.

Ahead of their meeting, the Ukrainian praised Swiatek for not just being a great athlete but also a great human being. Svitolina thanked the World No. 1 for her continued, vocal support of Ukraine and its people.

"Firstly, she's a great champion, also a great person. I'm really thankful for her support of Ukrainians, Ukraine, doing everything what is in her power, being vocal about that. She had also a big battle today, as well," she said.

"Yes, for me, to be fair, I didn't speak yet with my coach about what's going to be the plan. But I'm going to tomorrow have a practice day. The priority is going to be to recover. Then I'm going to sit down with my coach, go through the game plan, see how I can find a way to beat her," she added.

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"It's a new chapter for me, I want to bring something new" - Elina Svitolina on her newfound aggressive approach to tennis

Elina Svitolina celebrates against Victoria Azarenka at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

After the 2022 Miami Open, Elina Svitolina took a break from tennis owing to her pregnancy. She and her husband Gael Monfils welcomed their daughter Skai on October 15 last year.

Svitolina returned to action at the 2023 Charleston Open and has since slowly built momentum as she looked to return to her competitive best. One noticeable difference in her comeback has been her aggressive approach to the game.

At her Wimbledon press conference, Svitolina explained that she wanted to try something new in this phase of her life. The 28-year-old also revealed that she has a new team with her and is using a new racquet, which has played a part in her change of approach.

"Well, [I] always was looking to be more aggressive, trying few things here and there. But now, since the comeback, I try to look a bit differently. I have a new team with me. Just trying to bring something new into my game. I don't know how many years I'm going to be on tour more, so why not to try few different things," she said.

"I feel like my body is good. Physically I'm feeling quite good. Of course there's few things that I still physically want to improve. But I'm feeling good and comfortable on the baseline. I made few changes on my racquet. I changed the racquet. I changed the string. Have new team, as well," she added.

Svitolina and Swiatek are scheduled to face each in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Tuesday.