Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina said she will not take the court against Russian or Belarussian players until the sport’s governing bodies take action.
Svitolina, ranked No. 15 in the world, was scheduled to face Russian Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open in Mexico on Tuesday, but she dropped out of the match.
“…we — Ukrainian players — requested to ATP, WTA and ITF to follow the recommendations of the IOC to accept Russian or Belarussian nationals only as neutral athletes, without displaying any national symbols, colors, flags or anthems,” Svitolina, 27, wrote in a statement on “Accordingly, I want to announce that I will not play [Tuesday] in Monterrey, nor any other match against Russian or Belarussian tennis players until our organizations take this necessary decision.
“As a rule, even when I was a kid, I dreamed of playing tennis without choosing a match, a country or a partner in the game… for me there is no opponent from any country, I am fighting for victory, my best game, my best result… Unfortunately, now we, professional athletes, are essentially becoming hostages to the current situation,”“I’m sorry, but even though I am a stranger to politics, I am against grief, tears and war. The peace unites the world, and everyone should remain human in it.
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