The date of February 17 will forever remain in the memory of the Ukrainian tennis player Angelina Kalinina, because it was on this day that she left her home in Kyiv, believing that she would return there soon.

The 25-year-old went to Doha to train, as she usually did from time to time when the WTA tournament calendar allowed her.

But this time it was different: seven days later, the Russian war broke out, and since then Kalinina was forbidden to return home and see her family.

“I left as a sane person,” the world No. 36 told AFP on the sidelines of her participation in France’s Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament.

But she didn’t realize that for the next three months she would have to live with a suitcase, moving from one hotel to another, traveling from the Persian Gulf to the US and then back to Europe.

Of course, “this is a terrible feeling. I just go from course to course, from hotel to hotel. I don’t have permanent housing,” she added: “I used to live and train in Kyiv for two or three weeks and spend two weeks there when I can.”

– “I can’t imagine what it looks like” –

But “Now we are jumping from one country to another. Yes, it’s terrible.”

Her mother, father and 18-year-old brother are still alive in her house in Kyiv, and her house escaped Russian missiles, she said, explaining: “My parents’ apartment was damaged a little, and my uncle’s house was completely destroyed. destroyed. I can’t imagine what it’s like. My brother is only 18 and I can’t explain what he’s going through.”

Tennis has become her only goal and her only way to occupy herself far from the horrors of the war her country has been going through since the incessant Russian invasion until now, and whose focus has now shifted to the complete takeover of the Donbass, an industrial basin that has been partly controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. years after he failed to capture Kyiv and Kharkov.

The Ukrainian reached the quarterfinals of the tournaments in Charleston and Madrid, after beating three major world champions, American Sloane Stephens, Spaniard Garbine Mugurosa and Briton Emma Radokano, which allowed her to break into the top forty. club in the WTA rankings.

But not everything was priceless, she admitted: “I could not restore my energy and at times felt bad. I was tired of the muscles.”

According to her, the forced departure from Rome and Strasbourg gave her the opportunity to stay in one place for more than a few days for the first time in three months. At home with your family and where you’ve always lived.”

“I have never lived outside the country, but I know that I have no choice. Everyone suffers,” she said.

When will I go home again? –

The Ukrainian, who has not previously won a title at the professional level and last year’s tournament in Budapest made her first WTA final appearance, will not be able to stay long in Paris as she will be back on the road following her elimination on Thursday from the singles and doubles events as at Roland Garros.

Getting four losses this season at the hands of one player, American Jessica Pegula, wasn’t easy, but she fought hard on Thursday before advancing to the second round, losing 1-6, 5-7, 4-6.

Now the Dutch Suertochenbos tournament will be the next stop on her ongoing journey before she travels with her friend to London for Wimbledon, the third major tournament, and then to North America for the hard court season.

And what remains is that “every day I ask myself when will I go home again?, but now I don’t see any chances.”