Ukraine tennis players juggle matches, war raging at home

By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — When Ukrainian women’s tennis player Katarina Zavatska first learned that Russia had invaded her homeland, she was unable to pick up a racket for more than a week. Every waking second, she says her thoughts were consumed with the safety of her family back home in Ukraine. But Zavatska says she needs to continue playing to help her family survive in Ukraine. Zavatska and her Ukrainian teammates will play this weekend in Asheville, North Carolina against the third-seeded United States in the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup. And while they would love to win, the Ukrainians would understandably trade a victory on the court for peace back home.