When Ukrainian women바카라s tennis player Katarina Zavatska first learned that Russia had invaded her homeland, she was unable to pick up a racket for more than a week. (More Tennis News)
Every waking second, she said her thoughts were consumed with the safety of her family back home in Ukraine.
With the Russia-Ukraine War now in its seventh week, Zavatska has come to grips with the 바카라guilt바카라 she first felt about about playing a game while her family lived in constant fear and danger.
She believes it is her duty to keep playing tennis.
바카라What I can do is to play tournaments to earn money, to send it to my family to help them because nobody has a job right now in my family,바카라 Zavatska said Tuesday. 바카라Everybody is just home. They have nothing to do to earn.바카라
Zavatska and teammates Dayana Yastremska, and Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok will represent Ukraine this weekend in Asheville, North Carolina against the third-seeded United States in the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup 바카라 formerly known as the Fed Cup and the women바카라s equivalent to the Davis Cup.
At the beginning of the war, Zavatska made phone calls every 30 minutes, the worry engulfing her while she attempted to prepare for tennis tournaments in the United States.
바카라Every day I바카라m calling to my parents, my family, to ask them if they바카라re alive,바카라 Zavatska said. 바카라It seems like very tough, rude. But it바카라s true. This is the reality right now.바카라
Russia first invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Saturday he is committed to pressing for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians. Vadym Boychenko, the mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, said Monday that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and the death toll could surpass 20,000.
The 22-year-old Zavatska said her father was originally scheduled to travel with her to tennis tournaments before the war began.
That never happened.
Instead, his focus shifted to moving Zavatska바카라s mother and grandmother and other female family members to a safe haven in France, where she rents an apartment and trains during the offseason. But he remains in Rivne, Ukraine, along with male members of the family, to defend the country.
바카라For women to leave without their man, it바카라s very tough,바카라 Zavatska said. 바카라My cousin, for example, she바카라s pregnant. I have my niece, she바카라s almost 5 years old. It바카라s impossible to be alone in this kind of situation because all the men have to stay.바카라
In the meantime, Zavatska is fighting her own mental battle to remain focused on tennis.
바카라The first week (of the war) it was tough to do anything,바카라 Zavatska said. 바카라Surrounded by people who listen to music, who laugh, who live, who talk 바카라 it was impossible. I understand people have to live, but...바카라
Ukrainian team captain Olga Savchuk said most of her family is living underground in a bomb shelter in Ukraine as the war rages on.
She described her emotions 바카라beyond explainable and imaginable.바카라
바카라It바카라s like we live in two different realities,바카라 Savchuk said. 바카라Here we are, of course, we have to continue to support our families. (But) sometimes just like having food, I바카라m thinking about my grandpa and aunt who are in bomb shelter now. How I can even have a cup of tea right now? My family is, like, underground. I have goosebumps when I even talk about it.바카라
Every day apart from them, she said, is difficult.
But in some ways it has become the new normal.
바카라You wake up, first thing you do is check to see if your family is okay, and check the news,바카라 Savchuk said. 바카라We do that basically non-stop.바카라
USA team captain Kathy Rinaldi said the Americans are trying to make the Ukrainian team feel as comfortable as possible this week in Asheville.
The teams have planned a dinner together Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, 10% of the ticket revenue for the weekend is being donated to the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund by Global Giving through the 바카라Tennis Players for Peace바카라 initiative. Billie Jean King, who will attend Friday바카라s matches, and her partner Ilana Kloss are also donating $50,000 to the Ukraine Relief, and other local sponsors in Asheville are also making donations.
바카라When you look at tennis, we바카라re really a true family,바카라 Rinaldi said. 바카라We come together when things are tough. ... We바카라re opponents on the court, but we바카라re allies and friends off the court. We really do care for each other and we pull together when times get tough.바카라
The Ukrainian women have said that being on the tennis court has served a short mental reprieve from the reality of what is happening back home 바카라 the attacks, the bombs and the killing.
But once they leave the court, they바카라re back on their phones again 바카라 calling home and checking on family.
Zavatska and Savchuk said that while they would love to win this weekend and advance to the Billie Jean King Cup finals and provide some inspiration and pride to the Ukrainian people, both agreed that they바카라d trade a victory for peace back home.
바카라Without even thinking,바카라 Savchuk said, shaking her head. 바카라Without even thinking.바카라
