Elina Svitolina reveals lucrative Russian offer she refused
Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian tennis player, was once approached with an offer to represent Russia. In an interview, she disclosed the substantial sum the Russians were willing to pay her to compete for their country. The amount is remarkable.
Elina Svitolina is recognised as one of Ukraine's finest tennis players. Throughout her career, she has secured 17 tournament victories and won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In 2018, she triumphed at the WTA Finals and reached the finals again the following year.
Thanks to these achievements, Svitolina has played a significant role in popularising women's tennis in Ukraine. Largely because of her influence, more Ukrainian women have taken an interest in the sport, and currently, there are five female tennis players from beyond Poland's eastern border in the top hundred of the WTA ranking.
The Russians offered Elina Svitolina an opportunity to play for their country
The story could have unfolded differently because in the past, Elina Svitolina received an offer to represent Russia. The 30-year-old gave an interview to the "Ukrayinska Pravda" website, in which she revealed that the Russians promised her a significant amount of money in exchange for playing for their country.
The proposal was to compete under the Russian flag, but I never considered it. They offered $500,000 a year (approximately £390,000). Other countries also presented offers. They proposed programmes that invested in my future and development in tennis, on the condition that I represent their national colours - said the Ukrainian tennis player.
She then noted that she never entertained the idea. - It was a long time ago. For me, it was never an option to change my country. When I started my career, I had all the necessary support for my development in Kharkiv - she emphasized.
Currently, Elina Svitolina ranks 23rd in the WTA rankings with a total of 1,942 points.
