French tennis star Gael Monfils has said Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine has had a traumatic effect on wife Elina Svitolina, who was only recently "crying every night" out of fear for her home country.
Russian president Vladimir Putin began a large-scale military siege of neighbouring Ukraine on February 24. Invading forces have encroached over the latter's north, east and southern borders, although Ukraine is understood to have surprised its opponents in its ability to defend territories thus far.
Odessa-born Svitolina has used her eponymous foundation as a means to raise money in order to help fight back against the war. Other Ukrainian natives have returned to the country in order to take up arms in the fight, including tennis pro Serhiy Stakhovskiy, as well as boxing superstars Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk.
