Elina Svitolina sends emotional message from Indian Wells to US fans thanking them for supporting Ukraine in "darkest times"

Elina Svitolina continued her march at Indian Wells, booking a spot in the fourth round. She scored an upset win over 14th seed and home hope Danielle Collins, coming through in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.

With the win, the Ukrainian matched her second-best result at the tournament. She has enjoyed considerable success at Indian Wells, making it to the semifinal once.

Understandably, Svitolina shares a good relationship with the fans in this part of the world. Solidifying that bond further, she penned an emotional message to American fans after her third-round victory. Alluding to the Russian invasion of her home country, she thanked the American fans for their continued support to her as well as Ukraine in the "darkest times".

"Dear friends in the USA from the bottom of my heart, thank you for yοur unwavering support. Your kindness and solidarity remind me that even in the darkest times, we are not alone. Your compassion fuels our hope and inspires us to keep striving for a brighter future together," Elina Svitolina wrote on X.

Notably, Elina Svitolina has been one of the most vocal members of the tennis fraternity to censure Russian aggression. She has also been at the forefront of the call by Ukrainian players to boycott the customary handshake with Russian and Belarusian players at the end of matches.

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Elina Svitolina gears up for 4R showdown against Jessica Pegula at Indian Wells

Elina Svitolina in action during her third-round encounter against Danielle Collins at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. (Source: Getty)

Elina Svitolina, who is the 25th seed at this year's tournament, has scored two contrasting wins en route to the last-16 at Indian Wells.

The Ukrainian opened her campaign with a gruelling win over Ashlyn Krueger, overcoming a second-set stumble to prevail 6-1, 6-7(8), 6-3. She broke her opponent on nine occasions before finally pulling through.

Up against another American in the form of the big-hitting Danielle Collins, the Ukrainian was in top form. She dropped just six games, breaking Collins four times over the course of the two sets, en-route to a rather comfortable win.

Svitolina will face yet another American in the fourth round as she gears up to lock horns with fourth seed Jessica Pegula for a spot in the quarterfinals. The latter is currently on a seven-match winning streak, having lifted the ATX Open title in the lead-up to Indian Wells. She also leads Svitolina in their current head-to-head with a comfortable 5-2 margin.