Elina Svitolina, renowned for her courageous representation of Ukraine on the tennis court, has been selected as Ukraine’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Svitolina, who has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for her compatriots, shared her joy and pride at being given this prestigious role.
“I have the experience of playing in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020,” Svitolina told the Ukrainian press in Paris. “I am very happy to be back on the court and have the opportunity to perform at the Games once again. When I first started working out after having my daughter, this was my number one task.”
Svitolina emphasized the significance of the Olympics in her career, particularly during these challenging times for Ukraine. “The Games have always been a separate theme and a special motivation for me: Here I play for my country. This is so important to me, especially in such a difficult time.”
Her appointment as flag bearer highlights her continuous dedication and contribution to Ukrainian sports, especially under adverse circumstances. “So we prepare and work. I hope that the Olympics will turn out well for me as Tokyo did,” Svitolina added.
Svitolina joins an elite group of tennis players who have been honored with the flag bearer role at the 2024 Olympics. Coco Gauff, recently announced as Team USA’s flag bearer, is the youngest athlete ever to receive this honor. Chile’s Nicolas Jarry and Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic are also among the tennis players leading their national delegations.
Elina Svitolina in 2024
Ranked world no.31, Elina played her last match on the 10th of July when she lost to world no.4 Elena Rybakina 6-3 6-2 in the quarter in Wimbledon (draw).
Currently, during this year the Ukrainian has achieved an overall 22-13 record. Elina Svitolina’s best result of the current season was getting to the final in Auckland.
Elina Svitolina will compete against the world no.66 Moyuka Uchijima in the 1st round. They have never played each other until now in top events.
The Ukrainian got to the final in Auckland (ASB Classic).
Elina won 17 titles in her career: 9 on hard courts, 6 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Elina Svitolina |
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