A Ukrainian tennis player thanked her top-ranked opponent for publicly supporting her country during war

• Iga Swiatek has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the country's war with Russia first began.
• Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko thanked the world No. 1 for her efforts after their Italian Open match.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Lesia Tsurenko shared a heartwarming moment following their Round of 32 match at this year's Italian Open.

After the final point of Swiatek's 6-2, 6-0 rout, both players approached the net for a customary handshake. But Tsurenko, a 33-year-old from Ukraine, held on for a beat longer than is typical.

Then, as she spoke, she gestured to the yellow-and-blue ribbon pinned to her chest.

Swiatek later confirmed during her post-match press conference that her opponent had been thanking her for her continued support of Ukraine. And when Swiatek appeared to shake her head in response, the 21-year-old explained she was simply insisting that Tsurenko didn't need to thank her.

"It's really nice and I really appreciate that," Swiatek said. "I think there's nothing to thank for because, for me, it's pretty obvious that we should support Ukraine."

The three-time Grand Slam champion, who hails from nearby Poland, has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the early days after Russia invaded the country. In addition to regularly wearing a ribbon with Ukraine's flag colors during matches and urging the country to "stay strong" during victory speeches, Swiatek has also participated in and organized charity events to benefit her home country's embattled neighbor.

In July, she hosted a one-day event called "Iga Swiatek and Friends for Ukraine" in Warsaw to raise money for Ukrainian youth impacted by the conflict in their country. She played exhibition matches alongside several Polish stars, while Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina served as the umpire.

At the end of the event, Swiatek and company had raised more than $500,000 for United 24, the Elina Svitolina Foundation, and UNICEF Poland.

"It's really important for me to support Ukrainians because the war basically is right next to my country," Swiatek said after winning the US Open last summer. "I'm 21, so I didn't even — I always lived in a place where I didn't know that war is actually possible so close to me."

Swiatek, who won the Italian Open last year, has only lost two games through the first two rounds of the Rome-based tournament. She'll face Croatian star Donna Vekić Monday with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.