(CNN)Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina says she has a "mission" to help her country and wants to use her platform to provide hope to the war-torn nation. The 27-year-old, who is in regular contact with her family and friends back in Ukraine, has taken a break from tennis to focus her efforts on raising funds and awareness of her country's plight. "It's extremely tough because they [her family] tell their stories," Svitolina told CNN Sport. * "I speak with my grandmother every ...