Kalinina’s parents are currently staying at her flat while their house in Irpin near Kyiv is being rebuilt, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Irpin, a town that suffered significant damage at the hands of the Russian invaders north of the capital Kyiv, was retaken by Ukraine in March.
"Their house was attacked. There are huge holes in the house. There are no apartments anymore," said Kalinina, the 29th seed at Wimbledon.
She is already into the second round of the tournament, after beating Hungary’s Anna Bondar 4-6 6-2 6-4 in her first match.
Kalinina now faces compatriot Lesia Tsurenko, who said the results on the court were not a priority for her while Russian missiles were falling on her home city of Kyiv again.
'I'm helping with what I can'
Kalinina told reporters: "It's hard to focus, but for me it matters if I win or if I lose. I'm helping my grandmother and grandfather, who are in occupied territory now.”
The 25-year-old Ukrainian added: "The more I win, I'm not only helping my family, I'm helping other families and other people. It's a privilege to play here, it's a privilege to play every tournament. If you go further, you earn more money ... For me, that matters.”
She has already earned GBP 78,000 (around USD 100,000) for progressing to the second round at Wimbledon, the PAP news agency reported.
Kalinina stated: "I'm not a superstar so I'm helping with what I can. And it's a lot to them, and for me that's a huge motivation to play."
Her second-round match with Tsurenko could remind people of Ukraine’s battle against the Russian invasion, according to officials. Kalinina said both players may prepare “something special” for the occasion.
Meanwhile, Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from this year’s Wimbledon in response to their countries’ invasion of Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, yahoo.com, insider.com