"I am in a very sad mood but I was on a mission for my country" - Elina Svitolina after defeating Russia's Potapova in Monterrey

Elina Svitolina beat Anastasia Potapova in straight sets on Tuesday
Elina Svitolina beat Anastasia Potapova in straight sets on Tuesday

Elina Svitolina was playing for more than just herself when she took the court against Russia's Anastasia Potapova in the first round of the Monterrey Open on Tuesday. The Ukrainian, who had previously refused to play until the WTA condemned Russia's invasion of her country, clinched a 6-2, 6-1 victory in just 64 minutes.

The former World No. 3 has relentlessly urged tennis bodies to take a stand for Ukrainian players and remove national symbols and flags from matches involving Russian and Belarusian players. On Tuesday, the WTA, ATP and the ITF announced their collective decision to implement a list of measures in condemnation of Russia's war against Ukraine.

The flags of Russian and Belarusian players were subsequently removed from the WTA and ATP websites. The scorecard during Svitolina and Potapova's match also did not feature the tricolor beside the Russian's name.

While fighting back tears in her post-match interview, Svitolina emphasized that the match was "very special" for her given the circumstances. She revealed that she was pleased to be playing tennis despite not being in the best of spirits. The Ukrainian added that she was on a "mission" for her country.

"Today was a very special match and moment for me here," Svitolina remarked. "I'm in a very sad mood but I'm happy to be playing tennis here. I was focused from the beginning. It was very important for me to be ready for anything that comes my way. I think I served really well today. In general, I was just focused, I was on a mission for my country."

The World No. 15, who won her maiden Monterrey Open crown in 2020, was delighted to be back in action in the Mexican city. She expressed her pleasure at playing in front of a crowd after the pandemic forced the tournament to be held behind closed doors last year.

"It's nice to be back on this court," the 27-year-old said. "I have so many great memories winning her two years ago. I know last year was a bit sad without the crowd. It's a very special atmosphere everytime I play here. Thank you so much guys for coming this year!"

Elina Svitolina pledges prize money to Ukrainian army

The World No. 15 with the 2020 Monterray Open trophy
The World No. 15 with the 2020 Monterray Open trophy

Elina Svitolina recently announced her plans to donate all her prize money from her forthcoming tournaments to the Ukrainian military and those affected by the ongoing war in the country. She has already earned $2,675 after her first-round win and can bag a cheque of $18,037 should she leave Monterrey with the title.

"I commit to redistribute the prize money of my next tournaments to support army and humanitarian needs and help them to defend You, our country," Elina Svitolina recently announced in a post.

The World No. 15 will take on Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova in the second round of the Monterrey Open on Wednesday.