'I've nowhere to go': Ukrainian tennis star pleads for help amid intense war in Kyiv

Ukrainian tennis star Lesia Tsurenko took to social media to ask for help after violence broke out in her hometown of Kyiv, admitting that she has "nowhere to go".

Tsurenko has been on the road for the past month, competing in various tournaments across the world. The 32-year-old, however, broke down on social media on Tuesday, disclosing that she had nowhere to stay and pleaded for someone to provide her with a place to stay and practice before her next competition.

"After the worst month of my life with constant headache, panic attacks and guilt over the war in Ukraine, I face a new challenge... as a player based in Kyiv, I have nowhere to go. Now every Ukrainian has his own nightmare story...Where should I go?", Tsurenko wrote on Twitter, tagging the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

When Russia launched its military invasion of Ukraine last month, Tsurenko was not present in the country. Tsurenko was competing in a WTA event in Mexico before heading to the United States to compete in the Indian Wells and Miami Open. After an early loss in Miami, the Ukrainian flew to Spain to compete in the ATP Challenger Marbella. Tsurenko took to Twitter after losing in Marbella to explain the unpleasant reality she and other Ukrainian athletes have been facing for the past month.

However, Tsurenko returned to social media a day after her heartfelt post, this time to thank everyone who shared her concerns and offered assistance.

"I am extremely grateful to the whole world for your support and willingness to help. I am overwhelmed with emotions from your sincere words. Now I know for sure that everything will be fine. Thank you people!", she wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. 

Tsurenko appeals to tennis community

Tsurenko was amongst the first Ukrainian athletes to call for sanctions against Russia after Vladimir Putin launched an all-out offensive on February 24. Tsurenko appealed to the tennis community to speak out against the war on social media. After her appeal, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) cancelled all competitions that were scheduled to be held in Russia and also barred Russian and Belarusian players from playing under the flag of their respective countries. 

"I would like to ask the entire tennis community to speak out against the war on their social media! I ask everyone to support Ukraine in this difficult time. It’s just unacceptable that people in my country die because of political ambitions of Russian dictator!" Tsurenko had tweeted on February 24.

Image: LesiaTsurenko/Twitter