"Strength and beauty" - Chris Evert hails Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk & Lesia Tsurenko for scripting Ukrainian history at Wimbledon

Elina Svitolina, Lesia Tsurenko, and Marta Kostyuk have given their war-torn country a reason to cheer amid the ongoing crisis.

In a remarkable feat, the three Ukrainian players have reached the third round of the women’s singles draw at Wimbledon 2023. This is the first time three Ukrainian players have made it to the third round of any Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era.

The trio has overcome various challenges and obstacles to make their mark on the grass courts of SW19. Elina Svitolina, the World No. 76 and a wild card entrant, defeated Elise Mertens in three sets to set up a clash with former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who eventually lost in straight sets on Friday, July 7.

Lesia Tsurenko, ranked 60th, breezed past Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in straight sets and defeated Ana Bogdan in the third round.

Marta Kostyuk, the youngest of the three, got a walkover after Paula Badosa injured herself in the second set and advanced to meet Madison Keys, where she eventually lost in straight sets.

The news of their historic achievement was shared on social media by various sources and personalities. A Twitter user posted a tweet on Saturday, July 8, highlighting the milestone and praising the players.

The tweet was shared by former tennis champion Chris Evert, who wrote:

“Strength and beauty 💃💪we’re with you!"

The Ukrainian ladies have shown remarkable resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Their country has been under siege since February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus aiding Moscow’s troops.

The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people. The players have expressed their solidarity with their compatriots and their anguish over the situation back home.

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Elina Svitolina faces V. Azarenka, Lesia Tsurenko meets J. Pegula, Marta Kostyuk plays in doubles and mixed doubles

Elina Svitolina in Wimbledon 2023

Elina Svitolina will face a tough challenge in the fourth round against former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. The match has a political backdrop, as Svitolina has vowed not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Svitolina has lost all five previous meetings with Azarenka, who is also a former Wimbledon semifinalist.

Lesia Tsurenko will also face a formidable opponent in Jessica Pegula in the fourth round. This will be the first meeting between the two as their head-to-head record stands at 0.

Marta Kostyuk will compete in both doubles and mixed doubles events after the third-round exit in the single's draw. In doubles, she will partner Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and will face Markéta Vondroušová and Miriam Kolodziejová of Czech Republic in the second round.

In mixed doubles, Kostyuk will team up with Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador, and they will take on Bianca Andreescu of Canada and Michael Venus of New Zealand in the first round.