Elina Svitolina is reduced to tears and admits she found it ‘hard to focus’ on her latest Wimbledon match as dozens were killed overnight in her native Ukraine after a Russian missile strike on a Kyiv children’s hospital

Elina Svitolina burst into tears after securing a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, admitting she found it difficult to focus on tennis following a brutal rocket attack in her native Ukraine.

On Sunday evening, Kiev was hit by a Russian missile attack, the largest bombardment in recent months.

At least 28 people were killed and 50 wounded across the country in an attack that hit several cities, reports said. In Kiev alone, 10 people were killed and 35 wounded, officials said, and at least two doctors are missing.

A children’s hospital in Kiev was almost completely destroyed by the Russian attacks and an emotional Svitolina appeared in court wearing a black ribbon to commemorate the dead.

“Today is a very difficult day for the Ukrainian people,” she said in court, before bursting into tears.

The Ukrainian player wore a black mourning ribbon after last night’s airstrikes in Ukraine

A children’s hospital in Kiev was destroyed after one of the worst bombings in months

“So yeah, it wasn’t easy to focus on the game today. Since the morning it’s been really hard to read the news, so just going out on the pitch is extremely tough.

“I’m happy I could play today and win.”

Ukraine is now rebuilding itself after the latest devastating airstrike in recent years.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he will take revenge after the latest attacks.

“Several cities: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk. More than 40 rockets of various types. Residential buildings, infrastructure, a children’s hospital were damaged,” Zelensky wrote earlier on social media.

Svitolina spoke at length during her press conference about the responsibility she feels as a leading Ukrainian athlete in the face of such atrocities.

‘[My platform] “One of the things that motivated me today was to keep my head up, show up and do my best, my very best,” she said.

‘Every Ukrainian uses his own way to raise awareness, raise money and help in every possible way.

“My path is through tennis. That’s what really motivates me today to do something. I tried to focus on my work, tried to focus on what I could control. Just do what I could in a certain way.

“Of course I play such a great event as Wimbledon. I also have to think about how I can use it in a way for the Ukrainian people. With my victory today it was at least a small ray of light that brought a happy moment for the Ukrainian people. I have received so many messages today. People are grateful for my performance, for my victory today.

“Of course, in some way, let’s say, it brings me joy on this sad day.”

Svitolina admitted that she “woke up in a fog” after watching the news about the latest missile attack and that she had to concentrate with all her might on her match against Xinyu Wang (6-2, 6-1).

“It was extremely hard. Since this morning I felt a bit confused with my thoughts, with my feelings inside,” she explained.

‘Normally you spend the whole day, from the morning, thinking about your match, about your opponent and about how you are going to play.

‘Today it was also very calm with my team, because everyone around me is aware. Everyone knows what’s happening. Was very calm. It was straight forward, to the point, what I have to do, one, two, three on the field.

“Maybe that’s also why I played very, very loosely and, let’s say, very focused on what I had to do. It was a lot of thoughts about what’s happening and how, like, sad and all those images that I have in my head about the children, all those horrible things.”

More to follow.