As the US Open continues in New York, Ukrainian tennis once again sets its attentions elsewhere to more important matters on home soil. SVITO Padel Club in Kyiv, founded by Elina Svitolina and Sergiy Stakhovsky, was was badly damaged during a night attack.
On September 8, the Ukrainian capital was hit with its latest Russian offensive. The war began all the way back in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine with other political tension occurring beforehand, most notably Crimea in 2014.
Opening recently in spring 2026, SVITO Padel Club was the inspiration of current top 10 talent Elina Svitolina who is still very much competing for the biggest titles the sport has to offer while regularly sending messages of support to her country. With former World No.31 Stakhovsky, the duo co-founded the facilities in April of this year.
However, it has since been damaged as the club confirmed in a statement. "SVITO was damaged by the blast wave as a result of the overnight attack. No one was injured, and that is the most important thing. Our team is already working to repair the damage."
According to preliminary reports, at least 14 apartment buildings, cars, a dormitory, school, clinic, supermarket, gas station, warehouses and an administrative building were damaged in this latest attack by Russia.
On Instagram, Svitolina reposted a message on the SVITO Padel Club page that read: "The SVITO space suffered from an explosive wave as a result of a night attack. No people were hurt, and that's what matters most.
"Our team is already working to eliminate all consequences, and we will further inform once the club is fully ready to resume operations. We will be in touch further with anyone who has bookings. Our sincere condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones this night and are affected. Stay safe out there!"
🤯 SVITO Padel Club in Kyiv was damaged during Russia’s overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital
— Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) September 8, 2026
The club, founded by 🇺🇦 Elina Svitolina and 🇺🇦 Sergiy Stakhovsky, was hit by the blast wave during the attack overnight on September 8.
“SVITO was damaged by the blast wave as a… pic.twitter.com/oFS8pUukU4
Ukrainian tennis continues to battle on
For some time now, the Ukraine war has been a prominent topic in tennis thanks to the large number of Ukrainian and Russian tennis players, especially on the WTA side. The likes of Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk and Oleksandra Oliynykova have all regularly come out and shared their honest thoughts on the war.
Oliynykova has been very outspoken about this, regularly calling out specific tennis players. It is hard for these players to compete in these big tournaments with the thought in the back of their head being about what is happening at home.
Kostyuk went through it at Roland Garros with her stating after her opening round win at Paris. Traumatic events that occurred prior to her match saw a missile land 100m away from her parents house as she tried to emotionally compose herself to compete.
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The Ukrainian tennis players also have stuck by a familiar trend in which they do not shake hands with their Russian or Belarusian counterparts. This includes former Russian representatives that have now moved on to competing for other countries.
It feels like this will continue to go on for some time with the war not looking like it is set to come to a climax anytime soon. Ukrainian tennis players will prolong their battle not just to produce the best results in tennis, but to speaking up about the war and supporting their country through this torrid and turbulent time.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
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