For the first time in history, Ukraine will be represented in the main draw of Wimbledon by eight tennis players. However, according to the former number one racket of the country Serhiy Stakhovsky, the full-scale war and the difficulties the country faced do not contribute to a positive push for our female athletes.
The impact of war on the mental state of players
Serhii Stakhovskyi, who has been fighting in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for two years, spoke about the difficulties that Ukrainian tennis players faced after the beginning of the invasion. "On the positive side of the invasion, I definitely did not rush mentally. Playing under such pressure is much more difficult than playing under the pressure of the need for some result or something else. And playing under the pressure of the fact that there is a war in Ukraine..."
"Yes, in Kostyuk, the father was under fire for the first two months, because they live in the direction of the Zhytomyr highway. This is definitely not a positive thing. It only adds to the difficulties," Stakhovsky emphasized.
Chances of Ukrainian women at Wimbledon
As for expectations from Ukrainian women at Wimbledon, Stakhovsky noted that all our tennis players can show a very good result. "But sometimes they put too much pressure on themselves. I still hope that Elina will show a great result. Because, in principle, she has been in good shape for the past three months. But she does not have any high-quality, big result. There is hope for Kostyuk", he noted.
Prospects for the Olympic Games in Paris
At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Stakhovsky hopes at least to repeat the Tokyo result of Elina Svitolina, when she won the bronze award. **"First of all, this time Ukraine will have more girls at the Olympics. We have a full team - four girls and two couples. I hope that we will at least repeat the result, but, let's put it this way, it is very difficult. The fight for medals at The Olympics is not about playing in the 'slam' final. It's much more, much more difficult," explained the defender.
"The main thing I hope for is that the girls will all be healthy when they go to the Olympics. That they will have a chance for a medal, I am sure. Each of them. And whether they will receive an award or not is a matter of fate ", concluded Stakhovsky.
Expectations from the draw and player health
According to Stakhovsky, the key factor for the success of Ukrainian tennis players at Wimbledon will be the draw. "The main thing, in any case, is the draw. If they are lucky with a normal draw, then in every match they will have a great chance to show the result", he believes.
Ukraine continues to wait for a Ukrainian woman who would reach the final of the Grand Slam tournament. And although the conditions for training and performances are far from ideal, our tennis players continue to fight on the world stage, showing strength of spirit and indomitability.
Editor: Vitalina Patskan
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