Ukrainian Tennis Star Svitolina’s Own Padel Club Damaged in Russian Attack in Kyiv

Ukraine’s top tennis star Elina Svitolina has issued a global call to international partners and supporters. Her appeal asks for assistance in stopping Russian aggression and supporting Ukrainian athletes after a strike damaged her recently opened sports club in Kyiv.

Svitolina shared that her venue, SVITO Padel Club, was significantly damaged in an overnight strike on September 8.

She established the sports facility in May 2026 alongside former top Ukrainian tennis player Serhii Stakhovsky.

Serhii Stakhovsky is a retired professional tennis player, four-time ATP singles title winner, and former Ukrainian number one, best known internationally for defeating Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he enlisted in the Ukrainian military to help defend the country.

The launch marked a personal investment in the country's sporting future at a time when the broader sports community was suffering devastating losses. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 776 Ukrainian athletes and sports officials have been killed, while 942 sports facilities across the nation have been damaged or destroyed.

“Today, my club, SVITO PADEL, has become one of them,” Svitolina wrote. The tennis star pointed out that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine prevents both professional athletes and the younger generation from developing their careers.

“Ukrainian athletes and our young generation do not have the opportunity to train and prepare for international competitions on equal terms with athletes from other countries,” Svitolina wrote on social media.

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Svitolina urged international partners and friends to continue supporting Ukraine, raise awareness about the ongoing circumstances, and take decisive action.

“With this message, I want to appeal to our international partners and friends who support and cheer for us, Ukrainian athletes, in the international arena, and ask for your support and concrete actions that can help stop the aggressor,” the athlete said.

The SVITO Padel Club, located in Kyiv's Podil district, sustained damage on September 8, 2026, due to a blast wave caused by a nearby hit. Club representatives reported that no injuries occurred because the incident took place during the night.

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A Russian Shahed drone struck the Kyiv offices of the television channel "My – Ukraine" on September 8, 2026, hitting the newsroom in broad daylight while journalists broadcast live.

The attack partially destroyed the building, sparked a fire, and wounded five staff members.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as a deliberate assault on the media, which followed a larger overnight missile and drone barrage against the capital that killed two people and injured at least 10 others.

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