Elina Svitolina: "I do not blame any Russian athletes. They are not responsible for the invasion of our motherland. 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."
Wednesday 2 March 2022 06:55, UK
Ukrainian world No 15 Elina Svitolina has withdrawn from a WTA Tour event and urged tennis organisations to follow the IOC's recommendation to accept Russian or Belarussian nationals only as neutral athletes.
Svitolina was scheduled to play against Russia's Anastasia Potapova at a WTA Tour event in Monterrey, Mexico on Tuesday, but confirmed on Monday she had pulled out.
The 2019 Wimbledon and US Open semi-finalist took to social media to say: "I believe the current situation requires a clear position form our organisations: ATP, WTA and ITF.
"As such, we - Ukrainian players - requested to ATP, WTA and ITF to follow the recommendations of the ICO to accept Russian or Belarusian nationals only as neutral athletes, without displaying any national symbols, colours, flags or anthems.
"Accordingly, I want to announce that I will not play tomorrow in Monterrey, nor any other match against Russian or Belarussian tennis players until our organisations take this necessary decision.
"I do not blame any of the Russian athletes. They are not responsible for the invasion of our motherland.
"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."
The ITF said it has cancelled its events on Russian soil indefinitely, and no events would be scheduled in Belarus this year. It also postponed an event scheduled for Ukraine in April, citing heightened security concerns.
"This is a fast-evolving situation. We are constantly monitoring events and remain in active discussion with the ITF tennis family, the ITF Board and security experts to decide and align around our next course of action," the statement read.
"We stand united with the population of Ukraine. Right now, our priority remains the safety of all those participating in our events. We will of course be providing more information as soon as possible."
American former player Leif Shiras told Sky Sports: "It's a bold pronouncement [Svitolina's Monday statement]. I know that she's driven by the emotional attachment she has for her country and the welfare of family of friends, and I think all of us feel that way about what's unfolded in Ukraine.
"Whether it reaches the standard for individual tennis players to be reckoned with in this fashion, I'm not certain.
"I remember back at a time when our US president pulled athletes from the Russian Olympics [Moscow, 1980] and a lot of the athletes felt they were hard done by.
"Athletes don't mix as easily with politics, and maybe tennis players even more so, they seem to be individuals travelling around the globe.
"Plus the way that [Andrey] Rublev and [Daniil] Medvedev handled themselves with the pronouncement on the camera, I think they are probably doing as much as they can as individual people trapped in this political world.
"The tours would be wise to make some sort of acknowledgment. I don't think banning particular, individual athletes might be the answer, but certainly some sort of acknowledgment of the situation would be beneficial for everyone."
Svitolina had previously said her people are living a "terrible nightmare" and has called on the sporting world to do whatever it can to help.
The world No 15 put up an Instagram post after Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday stating that her heart was bleeding after looking at the events that were transpiring back home.
Speaking with Sky Sports News, the 27-year old, who is married to French tennis star Gael Monfils, has called on the war to be stopped.
"I'm shocked at this terrible nightmare," said Svitolina. "I'm really praying every single minute for my family, for my friends, for all people in Ukraine and around the world for safety, for peace.
"Considering what people are going through in Ukraine and what my family are going through while being in Ukraine and friends - I try to keep in contact with them to see what's happening there.
"I'm very safe compared to them so. To be honest with you, I'm only thinking about them and for me it's a very stressful time because I cannot do anything. I cannot really help them. I wish I could help them. It's extremely tough mentally for me. I cannot imagine what they are going through. I'm just praying.
"It's a horrible situation for the people in Ukraine, what they have to go through without sleepless nights, without food and electricity so that's horrible. For me, it's heartbreaking to hear this.
"The war is something we have to stop and it's something better than anything else. What is happening is very tough for me to imagine."
