Trump and Zelensky’s Meeting Casts Shadow Over Ukrainian Tennis Players' U.S. Visit

For years, the United States has been a sanctuary for Ukrainian tennis players. But recent diplomatic drama has turned this relationship sour, leaving players like Elina Svitolina and her compatriots facing an awkward and uncertain reception as they head to major U.S. tournaments.

President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy. In a televised Oval Office exchange, Trump bluntly told Zelensky, “You don’t have the cards. You’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out.” This stark ultimatum comes on the heels of Trump’s controversial push for Ukraine to offer up its mineral resources in exchange for continued U.S. support in its ongoing war with Russia. Oh, and did I mention he’s also reportedly directed Elon Musk—yes, the billionaire tech mogul turned government advisor—to shut down USAID, the humanitarian arm often vital in crises like Ukraine’s?

As if that weren’t enough, this political tension coincides with the start of the “Sunshine Double,” two of the biggest tennis tournaments in the U.S. outside of the U.S. Open: Indian Wells and the Miami Open. Ukrainian players, including Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, and Dayana Yastremska, are entering the competition under a cloud of uncertainty about how the U.S. truly views their homeland.

“The United States has been helping us for a long period of time now,” Svitolina said from her Monaco home last week. “Our government is trying everything—looking for solutions, new allies, anything. We’re just hoping for the best.”

For context, the U.S. has been Ukraine’s biggest supporter since Russia invaded more than three years ago, pouring over $180 billion into Operation Atlantic Resolve, according to the Department of Defense. But with Trump now calling the shots, the mood has shifted. Svitolina and other Ukrainian players are left pondering their country’s future while competing on American soil.

The tennis court isn’t immune to geopolitical tensions either. Ukrainian players have spent the last three years refusing to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents, some of whom openly support Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. In 2022, British tennis took a stand by banning Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon, but the move wasn’t without backlash. Big names like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal criticized the decision, and Wimbledon was stripped of ranking points. Since then, players from Russia and Belarus have been allowed to compete as “neutral athletes,” their national flags conspicuously absent.

Ukrainian players, however, remain steadfast in their stance. “We have to unite, we have to help each other for the country that we love,” Svitolina said. She’s been vocal about banning players who show loyalty to the Russian or Belarusian regimes, but tennis governing bodies like the WTA and ATP have yet to take further action.

Meanwhile, Svitolina’s personal life remains deeply intertwined with her nation’s struggles. She recently made a grueling 14-hour journey to Ukraine to run a sports and mental health clinic for children affected by the war. “This small moment when they smile and laugh really brightens their days,” she said. “I want to bring them this small hope for a better future.”

Back in Monaco, Svitolina keeps in close contact with her 86-year-old grandmother, who remains in the missile-targeted city of Odessa. Despite her pleas, her grandmother stubbornly refuses to leave her apartment, though she promises to follow safety protocols during airstrikes. “It’s not the ideal way to prepare for a tennis match,” Svitolina admitted, but she still managed to make the Australian Open quarterfinals earlier this year.

As she heads to California for the BNP Paribas Open, Svitolina carries with her the weight of her country’s struggles and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. “We are living with unimaginable challenges, pressure, and just not knowing what’s coming tomorrow,” she said. “Right now, I feel like we are united even more because we feel like the United States is not helping us much for the past few weeks.” Her words are a stark reminder of the fragile balance between sport and politics, and how one can’t truly escape the other.