Anhelina Kalinina recalls her grandparents almost getting hit by a bomb in Ukraine
Anhelina Kalinina recently revealed that after a bomb was dropped near her grandparents' house in Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka, where she was born, her family forced her grandparents to shift to the capital city of Kyiv.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 and is still going on, with the tennis world getting affected as well. Apart from Wimbledon banning Russians and Belarusians from competing last year, the animosity between players has grown significantly in the locker room.
Kalinina beat Russia's Veronika Kudermetova 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the semifinals of the 2023 Italian Open on May 19 and reached her maiden WTA 1000 final, where she will face Elena Rybakina.
In a press conference after the match, the 47th-ranked player was asked about the status of her family in war-torn Ukraine. She stated that everyone relocated to Kyiv which was safer than her hometown — Nova Kakhovka.
"Maybe two months ago, my grandmother and grandfather were in Nova Kakhovka, which is currently occupied territory by Russian soldiers," Anhelina Kalinina said. "But they were able to go immediately when it was attacked. So currently, my whole family is in Kyiv. I have no connections with Nova Kakhovka anymore because everyone is in Kyiv."
The 26-year-old added that while her grandparents were initially reluctant to leave their house after having lived there for over 60 years.
"I'm super happy because it's absolutely impossible to stay, to live, because there were so many weapons, so many soldiers near my grandmother and grandfather's house," she said. "It was absolutely not possible to live, to stay. They are very old people. So for them, it was very tough to make this decision to move from that city. They're living, I don't know, 60 years there, 65. We kind of pushed them, like, 'You have to go'."
Kalinina said that her grandparents changed their decision after a bomb fell next to their apartment.
"It's not a normal life. When the bomb came directly to their house, but it was a little bit maybe, a couple of meters left, not exactly in their apartment, but left. They kind of woke up and realized, 'Oh, my God, yeah, we have to move'," she added.
At 2022 Wimbledon, Anhelina Kalinina said she has to win more to help Ukrainians amidst war
After defeating Anna Bondar in the first round of the 2022 Wimbledon, Anhelina Kalinina stated that she needed to win as much as possible to earn more money and help the people of Ukraine.
"For me, it matters if I win or if I lose because the more I win, of course, I’ve got currently money, I’m not only helping my family, I’m helping other families," Kalinina said. "It’s a privilege to play every tournament and to get the quality of the game means better events. You go further. You earn more money. Then I’m able to help and I’m helping as much as I can and not only to my family."
Anhelina Kalinina will face Elena Rybakina in the final of the 2023 Italian Open on Saturday, May 20.