Ukrainian tennis player Anhelina Kalinina progressed past the first round of Wimbledon with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory against Hungarian Anna Bondar. While the win is a step in the right direction, its significance extends beyond the grass courts of SW19. It guarantees £78,000 to Anhelina, with which she intends to rebuild her family home in Irpin. Their home fell under Russian fire, causing her parents to shift to the apartment she shares with her husband.

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Speaking to the BBC after the match, the 25-year-old had her mind firmly fixed on the struggles her family has had to endure, especially the damages to their family home:

“First of all, their house was attacked. There are huge holes in the house, like huge holes. There are no apartments anymore. So now this home is getting rebuilt, so they can’t live there. So they live in my apartment where I’m living with my husband,” quotes the Guardian.

But despite the terrible suffering engulfing her country, Kalinina still managed to sound and feel positive. “It’s a very small apartment for my family, because, like, my mum, my dad, my brother, and they have pets. Currently, they are rebuilding the house. Now they are at home safe. They have everything. Yes, I’m grateful that they have opportunities to live, and I am playing tennis. So that’s good,” she added.

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The win pits her against fellow Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko in a potentially emotion-fuelled encounter. The latter brushed past British no. 5 Jodie Burrage in a first-round clash that did not pass off without incident. But for Kalinina (and one assumes Tsurenko too) the Championships offer a means to further the Ukrainian cause in their own little ways:

“It’s hard to focus, but for me, it matters if I win or if I lose. I’m not only helping my family, I’m helping other families and other people. It’s a privilege to play here. It’s a privilege to play every tournament. [If] you go further, you earn more money. Then I’m able to help, and I’m helping as much as I can and not only to my family. So for me that matters,” continued Anhelina.