This is an article “Anti-war Players Who Need To Be Heard” by Marc Pulisci
In a globally beloved sport like tennis, world events like Russia's attack on Ukraine can affect players tremendously. Many sports fans were already disturbed after Russian authorities detained Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) superstar and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner in mid-February. Griner was about to board a flight back to the US when authorities arrested her for possession of vape cartridges in her luggage.
In the recent PNB Paribas Open, Russian and Belarusian players were not allowed to play under their flags. All these issues are undeniably related to the current conflict in Europe and are bothering many sports figures. Some of who have already spoken out loud about how they really feel.
If you have been closely following this year's current tour, you might have already seen how Russian star Andrey Rublev and Czech player Jiří Veselý expressed their views on the war at the Dubai Championships in February. Both players wrote anti-war sentiments on camera lenses after their matches to signal that war is not welcome on the tennis court. In Indian Wells, Russian player and world number 84 Anna Kalinskaya wrote a "No War" sign on her trainers during her first-round match against French player Harmony Tan, sending a powerful message to organizers that players do not condone war.
Since things wrapped up for the Indian Wells and the Miami Open, more and more players are voicing their opinions about the current conflict, hoping that sports might foster peace across Europe.
Playing with pride but without flags
At the PNB Paribas Open, officials had earlier allowed players from Russia and Belarus—countries leading the aggression against Ukraine—to play, but without the privilege of bannering their flags. Earlier, Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina had declined a match against Russian player Anastasia Potapova which helped prompt the rule change.
More players soon expressed their anti-war sentiments. Russian player and current Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world number 1 Daniil Medvedev faces the risk of being pulled out from upcoming grand slam tournaments after Ukrainian Tennis Federation board member Seva Kevlych staunchly called for immediate action.
The ATP, WTA, and International Tennis Federation (ITF) had issued a joint statement that players from Russia and Belarus cannot compete in upcoming tournaments, including the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, under their flags. This development, along with Kevlych's call to ban Medvedev from participating in grand slam tournaments, certainly puts the top spot at the ATP on shaky ground.
However, WTA head Steve Simon had earlier expressed his opposition regarding the imposition of bans on Russian and Belarusian players from playing in any sport, saying that the powers that be of tennis should not fault athletes under authoritarian leadership. But, he also further stated that tennis officials might sway their respective positions if host countries ban players from Russia and Belarus from entering their territories and participating in tournaments.
Arms in place of racquets
No one has it more heartbreaking than the Ukrainian players who have seen the devastation of their country and the potential war crimes against their countrymen by Russian forces. Aside from Svitolina, current Women's Tennis Association (WTA) number 120, 21-year-old Dayana Yastremska had to flee with her little sister Ivanna from their home in Odessa by boat as war broke out in late February. Their parents, who stayed behind in war-torn Ukraine, convinced them to seek safer ground.
Yastremska expressed her fears and concerns via a social media post that shared how her family spent four sleepless nights, including two underground in the city's parking lots, as Russian troops landed in Odessa. The sisters fled Ukraine when the possibility of shelling could occur anytime.
At the Qatar Open in Doha, champion Iga Swiatek who hails from Ukraine's nearby neighbor, Poland, couldn't hold back her emotions as she spoke of the atrocities committed against innocent civilians. Poland has welcomed nearly 2.5 million displaced Ukrainians on its soil in what many consider the worst humanitarian crisis in the 21st century. Swiatek further stated that she'll be wearing a small ribbon in Ukrainian colors in her upcoming matches and encouraged other players to do the same.
One Ukrainian player who is a former ATP Top 50, Sergiy Stakhovsky, took up arms in Ukraine to defend his homeland. In one interview, Stakhovsky shared that he had no military experience in the past but had to perform his duties as a citizen. Early on, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called on the men in the country aged 18 to 60 to help in military defenses as reserves or volunteers.
Such displays of courage and patriotism continue to echo and inspire the western front and its allies, building stronger global support for Ukraine. Many Ukrainian men and women decided to stay on the battlefields and fight Russian forces or help their troops in however way they could and are managing to hold stronger territorial resistance against the invaders.
After more than a month into Russia's invasion, which its government continues to mask under the euphemism “special military operation”, no major cities, particularly the capital of Kyiv, have been taken. However, Russian forces attacked Ukraine's southeastern city of Mariupol with multiple bombardments and aerial attacks, leaving 90% of the city devastated. Today, over 5,000 citizens, including more than 200 children, are left dead, with those fighting for their survival struggling to gain access to food, water, and other essentials.
Other prominent Ukrainian athletes leading their troops on the battlefields are former heavyweight and Kyiv city mayor Vitali Klitschko, retired tennis player Alex Dolgopolov (who actively posts ongoing developments on the ground via social media), and 14 more ATP Top 1000 players from Ukraine.
Lobbying for peace
Perhaps the most outspoken Russian ATP players who oppose the Ukraine invasion are Medvedev and Rublev, both of whom are calling for peace. The world number 1 even addressed his countrymen after winning a match at the Mexican Open, conveying that sometimes tennis can take a backseat, especially when promoting global peace is of paramount importance.
Meanwhile, ATP number 7 Rublev told the press in one of his post-match interviews that respecting each other and being united are important. Arian Sabalenka of Belarus echoed the same sentiment by sharing how bad she feels about the significant number of war victims and hopes that peace prevails across the globe.
Superstar and the first Russian female to reach the WTA number 1, Maria Sharapova, had earlier expressed her heartbreak over the current conflicts in Europe and pledged to donate to the Save The Children relief funds for the children left in Ukraine. Similarly, Yastremska pledged her £12,000 runner-up prize money at the recent Lyons Open in France to her country's humanitarian needs. At the same time, ATP world number 85 Andy Murray of the UK vowed to donate all of his 2022 earnings to Ukraine via UNICEF Aid.
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