Some tennis players have so-called rockets for serves, but Elina Svitolina has the real thing.
The Ukrainian star shared a series of snaps on her Instagram account from Kharkiv, appearing to be taking part in training exercises with soldiers.
Svitolina, who ended the WTA season ranked No. 23 in the world, has used her game as one of the country’s most successful athletes to draw awareness to the ongoing war.
In a post to her Instagram account — which boasts more than 1.7 million followers — on Monday, Svitolina is seen holding a rocket launcher in one picture and mounted machine guns in two others.
She provided an inspirational caption to the post in Ukrainian, calling Kharkiv her home and its people heroes.
“The city that gave the feeling of real home when I started my professional career here at 12 years old,” the translated caption reads. “The city that continues to provide warmth and protection during the great war.
“If you ask me, where do I find the motivation to fight in sports arenas? This is my country, my people, my Kharkiv and our heroes”
According to Bild, Svitolina often spends her spare time aiding in her homeland’s ongoing fight against Russia.
She has helped participate in many fundraisers for her homeland, often sharing stories on her social media accounts.
Svitolina will soon leave in order to prepare for the Australian Open, which begins in just over a month Down Under.
Svitolina, who is married to fellow tennis star Gael Monfils,has won 17 singles titles during her career on the WTA Tour and reached a career high of No. 3 in the world rankings in 2017.