Elina Svitolina Foundation hosts charity event in Kyiv; Ukrainian No. 1 hopes to set up tennis academy in her home country

The Elina Svitolina Foundation recently hosted a charity gala in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, looking to raise funds to set up a new international tennis academy in the country.

The event was attended by some of the biggest names in Ukraine's sporting fraternity and Svitolina, who is the foundation's president, shared her delight at the positive reception.

Amongst those in attendance at the November 26 gala were former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, wrestler Zhan Beleniuk, television presenter Lesia Nikitiuk and former Ukrainian parliamentarian Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.

Svitolina, who became the first from her country to win an Olympic medal in tennis earlier this year, shared a series of photographs from the star-studded evening on her social media handles.

Svitolina wrote a detailed caption for the post, thanking the guests for their support. The 27-year-old said she felt "extremely happy" seeing that people cared about the development of sports, especially tennis, in Ukraine.

She further expressed her gratitude to the guests and event partners, saying the event would not have been possible without their "generosity".

"On November 26, the charity gala dinner of Elina Svitolina Foundation in Ukraine took place," Svitolina wrote. "I am extremely happy that my friends, special guests and partners care about the development of sports and the future of young tennis players!"

"I am incredibly grateful to everyone who came together for our common purpose!" she added. "This event wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our partners."

The Elina Svitolina Foundation, led by Ukraine's No.1 player, aims to promote the sport in the country while also supporting young athletes interested in tennis.

All proceeds from the November 26 charity event, which was hosted at the Hotel Fairmont in Kyiv, will go towards building a first-of-its-kind tennis academy in Ukraine. This was the second edition of the annual gala.

Elina Svitolina keeping herself busy with off-court activities ahead of pre-season

The Olympics bronze was a major highlight of Elina Svitolina's 2021 season.

Elina Svitlona's bronze medal-winning run at the Tokyo Olympics was the highlight of her 2021 season, which otherwise brought mixed results for the Ukrainian.

Svitolina ended her season after a first-round exit at the Tenerife Open, but has kept herself busy with off-court activities since. Aside from hosting her foundation's annual charity gala, the 27-year-old was recently spotted attending the Ukrainian premiere of the film House of Gucci.

Svitolina will head into the pre-season without a full-time coach, having announced her split from Andrew Bettles last month. The Ukrainian said she is not rushing into a new partnership and will arrive at a decision after a "thorough" process.

Svitolina is expected to make her return to the courts in January 2022 in Australia.