The ATP and WTA committees alongside the International Tennis Federation, have jointly been served a statement by any and all Ukrainian players on the tennis tour. The statement asks for the committees to ban any and all Russian tournaments without banning any specific Russian players or stars as most of them have come out and condemned the war.
The tennis world, which was on a high after legendary players like Djokovic returned to the court and lost in a shocker or when the King of Clay, Nadal won his 91st title. The biggest problem in the tennis world was Zvereve’s disagreement with the Acapulco umpire which saw him being eliminated from the tournament. However now, amidst this terrible war Russia has imposed on Ukraine, the tennis world has been rocked as well.
“Our country, Ukraine is under brutal attack by superior nuclear power. The bombs and rockets are hitting our houses, killing our people, destroying our life,” it reads, concluding: “Stop the War. Stop Russian Aggression. Bring Peace to our homes. Be HUMAN.”
Elina Svitolina, the country’s top-ranked star, went a step further by vowing not to play any Russian or Belarusian athletes until appropriate action is taken
“I do not blame any of the Russian athletes,” says Svitolina. “Moreover, I wish to pay tribute to all the players, especially Russians and Belarusians, who bravely stated their position against the war. Their support is essential.”
Meanwhile Russian players like Rublev and Medvedev made a point to give their views against the war. Rublev after a match in Dubai wrote on the camera lens, “No War Please”. While Medvedev made an instagram post saying,
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“I want to ask for peace in the world, for peace between countries,” he wrote. “Kids are born with inner trust in the world, they believe so much in everything: in people, in love, in safety and justice, in their chances in life. Let’s be together and show them that it’s true.”