Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has revealed how her weekend plans of seeing Harry Styles perform in Vienna on Saturday were scuppered by her own talent.
The mother-of-one, 28, who has a child with French pro Gael Monfils, revealed after her match on Friday, in which she defeated US player Sofia Kenin in straight sets, that she had hoped to watch the British pop star perform in the Austrian capital.
She told her followers: ‘Hey guys, I was supposed to go to see my fav @harrystyles concert in Vienna tomorrow…but Wimbledon changed my plans.
Svitolina added: ‘Someone want to go? I have two tickets’.
Last night the tennis star, who has been a vocal supporter against Russia, revealed that she’d gifted the tickets to a fellow Ukrainian, Anna Tilniak and her young son David.
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina beat Sofia Kenin to advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon…the wild card had expected to be at Harry Styles Love on Tour concert in Vienna on Friday night
Mother and son shared photos and footage from the concert on her Instagram account.
Tilniak, who runs an agency called Rest in Ukraine, said: ‘Last night I didn’t have any plan for Saturday but the universe prepared something for us!’
She said her son had danced ‘all night long’.
On Sunday, Svitolina will face Belarusian player Victoria Azarenka. It will be the first time at Wimbledon a Ukrainian has faced a player from an aggressor nation since Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in February 2022.
The Ukrainian tennis star, who has been vocal in her support of her country during matches, gifted the tickets to a delighted fellow Ukrainian Anna Tilniak and her young son David
Parisian crowds booed Svitolina at the French Open when she refused to shake hands with Belarusian world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka and the Ukrainian said she was baffled by the reaction and accused her opponent of adding fuel to the fire by offering her hand at the net.
Fellow Russian player Daria Kasatkina, who has held a staunch anti-Putin stance, simply offered a thumbs up and did not offer her hand in the previous round, which Svitolina admitted she respected.
Svitolina said of the match: ‘Every day I take an opportunity to fight for my country.
The tennis player, who will take on Belarusian player Victoria Azarenka on Sunday, said Styles was her ‘fav’
For me it’s a big motivation (the match) — firstly I think for my country. It’s just another match, but in a way, a lot of Ukrainians will be watching and supporting me. I will put the fighting spirit on and just really fight for every single point.’
On her Instagram account, a recent photo shows the tennis star with President Volodymyr Zelensky wearing a ‘glory to Ukraine’ shirt.
Three Ukrainian women made the third round of Wimbledon for the first time including Svitolina, Lesia Tsurenko and Marta Kostyuk.
The All England Club are helping Ukrainians at Wimbledon this year by paying for players’ accommodation costs during the tournament and offering them facilities to train during the grass-court season.
It comes after Svitolina (bottom) refused to shake Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka’s (top) hand at the French Open earlier this year
It was a controversial moment in the competition with Svitolina snubbing her opponent but shaking the hand of the chair umpire
The Ukrainian will play against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (pictured), the first time a draw of its kind will have happened at Wimbledon since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine
Away from the courts, the Club have invited 1,000 refugees to join them for a day at Wimbledon with free tickets, transport and a meal. One pound from every ticket goes to Ukrainian relief charities, with more than £500,000 set to be raised from that.
Svitolina wanted to delay her return giving birth but after practising with her team and also Monfils’ coaches, she was urged to ramp up her comeback.
‘It might sound arrogant, but I will always have high expectations for myself,’ she added. ‘Each time I play the tournament, I want to win it.’
‘You know, shoot for the moon and you might land in the stars.’
The Ukrainian former world No.3 continues her comeback after giving birth to her first child, Skaï, with fellow pro player Gael Monfils in October 2022.
Tennis stars Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils announced their engagement in 2021 after dating for two years; in October the couple welcomed their first child together
Monfils is currently out of the tournament with a wrist injury.
The couple announced their engagement in 2021 on social media, with the Frenchman posting a picture of Svitolina showing-off her ring in the mountains and writing: ‘She said YES. Madame MONFILS.’
Monfils and Svitolina have been dating since 2019 and have become fan favourites, regularly posting to their shared ‘GEMS life’ Instagram page.
After returning to the circuit following the birth of their daughter, the Ukrainian won an event in Strasbourg but has struggled for form since.
She said of dating a fellow player: ‘It’s really special to have someone who understands what you go through to get these wins, and it’s special to share these moments together.’
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