Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina made history on July 31 after becoming the first-ever tennis player to win a medal for Ukraine at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Svitolina, 26, won the bronze medal in the women’s singles event by defeating Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, adding Olympic bronze to a resume that already includes 15 Women Tennis Association titles.
“To win such a big battle for the bronze, it means the world to me. Everyone in Ukraine is watching, we don’t win so many medals, it’s very special for me and Ukraine,” she said after the game.
So far, Ukraine has collected five bronze medals at the Olympics since they kicked off on July 23.
Swimmer Mykhailo Romanchuk won a bronze medal in the men’s 800-meter freestyle race, Daria Bilodid won a bronze medal in women’s judo, Igor Reizlin was third in fencing, and Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk both won bronze in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team contest.
