By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 29, 2022
Elina Svitolina, Ukraine’s top-ranked player, has announced that she will need some time off the tour.
“It’s been an extremely difficult couple of months for me,” Svitolina said in a statement on social media. “Not only mentally but also physically. 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.”
The World No.20 dropped to 5-8 on the season with her second-round loss to Heather Watson at Miami. She has a lot more on her mind than just tennis though.
“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. Now, my body can’t handle it anymore and I need to rest. Therefore, I’m sad to announce that I will be missing Fed Cup and a few of my favorite tournaments in Europe.”