"No offers from Russia though": Elina Svitolina says a number of countries tried to lure her into changing citizenship

The most titled tennis player in Ukrainian history, Elina Svitolina, has admitted that she received offers to play for a number of other countries at the beginning of her career. According to the 30-year-old Odesa native, although a lot of countries approached her, Russia was not on the list.

Svitolina spoke about this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda. The holder of 17 WTA titles (Women's Tennis Association) emphasized that she had never considered playing under other flags and also recalled her sponsor.

"There were no such offers from Russia though. But there were other countries. They offered 500 thousand dollars a year. There were programs where they invest in your future, your tennis career. That is, you have to play for another country. That was a long time ago. And for me, changing the citizenship has always been out of question. When I started my career as a tennis player, I had good conditions in Kharkiv. I had a sponsor, Yuriy Sapronov, who provided me with everything I needed to develop," Svitolina said.

As previously reported, on September 18, Elina Svitolina underwent surgery on her right leg. She now undergoes rehabilitation in Kyiv.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!