Elina Svitolina raises over $250K in support of Ukraine with charity gala in Monaco

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As “the happiest and the most tragic” year of Elina Svitolina’s life nears an end, the Ukrainian player once again used her platform to raise awareness and funds in support of her country.

In between acing her role as a new mom to baby Skaï and hinting at a WTA Tour return, Svitolina hosted the third annual charity gala and auction for her eponymous foundation last week. Held at the Monaco Yacht Club, the event raised €240,000 ($251,000 US) for her foundation and the United24 program launched by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“This year has been both the happiest and the most tragic for me,” Svitolina wrote on Instagram. “The moment when I found out that Gael and I were going to have a child, the war broke out in my country. Even now, I still can't fully describe what I was feeling at that moment.

“I felt hurt and powerless because I couldn't stop this terrible war. However, I made a decision to take action.”

Svitolina was joined by husband and fellow tennis player, Gael Monfils, with Ukrainian soccer legend Andriy Shevchenko—a fellow United24 program ambassador—also in attendance.

Some of the lots on auction included a private concert at La Fenice in Venice, tickets to the 2023 Wimbledon men’s and womens’ singles finals, a two-night stay at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort’s iconic “Nadal Suite” and more, including items autographed by president Zeleskyy.

According to The Odessa Journal, $59,000 of the funds raised have already been put to use by United24 for the purchase of generators to power Ukrainian hospitals amid widespread outages caused by Russian attacks on critical infrastructure. The United24 program serves as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine, in order to serve the country’s most pressing needs during a fast-evolving conflict.

Meanwhile, the Elina Svitolina Foundation aims to continue its mission of helping to develop sport and tennis in Ukraine by ensuring that aspiring tennis players have the support and access they need to continue pursuing the sport both now and once the war is over.

“The team and I firmly believe in victory and are already thinking about the post-war restoration of the sports infrastructure,” Svitolina said. “Young talents who fled the country because of the war should know that they will soon be very welcome at home.”

While Svitolina has recently hinted at her desire to return to tennis in the upcoming season, it seems tennis fans will have to wait to see either member of the G.E.M.S. Life power couple back on court. Monfils recently withdrew from the Australian Open, citing an ankle injury that has kept him off court since August—and thus guaranteeing himself a protected ranking in the process by delaying his comeback to February.