Struggling Svitolina takes a break after battling to represent Ukraine
Elina Svitolina has withdrawn from next month's Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, saying she has aggravated a back injury in her determination to represent her country on the court following Russia's invasion. Svitolina, who has been outspoken in support of Ukraine amid the invasion, has competed at the Monterrey Open, Indian Wells and the Miami Open in recent weeks. She lost in the opening round at Indian Wells and Miami, but reached the Monterrey Open quarter-finals and pledged to donate her prize money from the tournament to the Ukrainian army. Russia calls its actions a "special military operation". "It's been an extremely difficult couple of months for me, not only mentally but also physically," Svitolina wrote on Twitter. "For a quite long time I've been struggling with my back.
