Paris: Former world number three Elina Svitolina of Ukraine announced on Tuesday she was taking a break from tennis because of mental and physical exhaustion.
She said her compatriots'
resistance of the Russian invasion of her country had encouraged her to play
through back pain, but said "now I can't handle it any more".
"It's been an extremely
difficult couple of months for me not only mentally but also physically,"
the world number 20 wrote on social media.
"For quite a long time
I've been struggling with my back. The pain didn't let me prepare for the
tournaments at my best.
"Meanwhile, observing
with unbearable pain in my heart what is happening in my homeland Ukraine and
with how much bravery and courage our Ukrainian people are defending our
country, this gave me a huge push to continue and fight on court," continued
the 27-year-old.
"Now, my body can't
handle it anymore and I need to rest. Therefore, I'm sad to announce I'll be
missing Fed Cup and few of my favourite tournaments in Europe. But I'm sure
I'll see your around soon! Thank you all for your support in the challenging
period."
Svitolina, a winner of 16 WTA
titles, has struggled for form since her quarter-final defeat in the US Open.
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