However, for the Ukrainians who participate in SW19, the war never really leaves them.
On Wednesday, Anhelina Kalinina will face Lesia Tsurenko in an all-Ukrainian second-round match, which they hope will draw attention to their country’s ongoing plight.
“There are huge holes in the house, like huge holes,” she said, before revealing that the family now lived with her and her husband.
“It’s a very small apartment for my family because my mother, father, brother and they have pets.
“They are so happy and we are thankful… that they have a place to move from Irpin City because Irpin was completely bombed.”
“I help many of my grandmother and grandfather who are now in occupied territory,” she added.
‘They can’t leave. So next door are like Russian soldiers with all their military stuff.’
After beating Anna Bondar 4-6 6-2 6-4 in the first round, Kalinina managed to raise £78,000 ($96,000) to help her family. A second round win would bring in a total of £120,000 ($147,000).
“I understand it’s hard to concentrate, but for me it matters whether I win or lose,” said Kalinina.
“If you go further, you make more money. Then I can help, and I help as much as I can and not just for my family. So that’s important to me.”
‘We are still at war and we need your help’
Her opponent on Wednesday, Tsurenko, has been working with a psychologist to work through the trauma caused by the war.
While Tsurenko’s mother still lives in the south of Ukraine, her sister now lives near her in Italy, having lived through three months of the war in Ukraine.
“I don’t feel well,” she told reporters. “I’m really worried, especially because I know they’re trying to get that one object, which is 100 meters from my house, from the building where I live.
“When the war started, I started to feel this tension in me… This feeling, this tension will only be released when the war is over. I can’t help it.”
In previous grand slams this year, Tsurenko was drawn against eventual opening round tournament champions – Ashleigh Barty at the Australian Open and Iga Swiatek at the French Open.
At Wimbledon, however, Tsurenko faced a more favorable opponent in the first round, beating Briton Jodie Burridge in a 6-2 6-2 win.
Like Kalinina, her motivation to keep playing tennis comes from using her platform to help her country.
“I think with all the athletes who can participate in the competitions, also with all the singers who go to Poland, to Germany, and who have all the concerts, that moment when Ukrainians can just go and remind the whole world that we are here, we’re still at war and we need your help,” she said.
“This is the main thing I would like to happen, that we get a lot of heavy weapons. We just want to remind” [people] that Ukraine is in trouble and that we need help.”
The tennis player said the hardest thing for her was knowing people on the front lines.
“A man was taken by Russians, so we don’t know what’s going on with him,” she said.
“We know he’s still alive. There are still two boys fighting right now and a few people have already died from the war.’
On Monday, the two players had not yet decided how they would honor their home countries during their match.
“It’s great that two of us meet in the second round, so it will be one Ukrainian in the third round,” she continued.
Tsurenko said she would wear a Ukrainian ribbon on her outfit if allowed.
