Updated on 3/3/2022 at 2:18 p.m
- In view of the war in Ukraine, Eva Lys, who was born there, finds the behavior of many Russian tennis colleagues “disrespectful”.
- The German tennis champion describes her experiences.
German tennis champion Eva Lys has heavily criticized the behavior of Russian players on the WTA tour in the face of the war in Ukraine. “A lot of Russian players who are here show disrespect to those affected by the Ukraine war,” Lys said in a Eurosport interview. “They laugh about it, make fun of it. Some demonstratively put on a tracksuit in the Russian national colors,” said Lys, who is currently taking part in a smaller tournament in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan. “It is all the more important that we spread what is really happening there. This message must reach everyone.”
Eva Lys: “I hear the bombs falling through the phone”
Lys was born in Kyiv before she came to Germany with her parents as a small child. Relatives of her still live in the Ukrainian capital today. Lys tries to keep in touch with them as much as possible. “When we talk on the phone, the bombs can be heard through the phone. People are helpless in the face of the attacks, but they are incredibly brave,” Lys said.
Also read: Current developments in the war in Ukraine can be found in our live ticker
The tennis world association ITF as well as ATP and WTA recently decided to exclude Russian and Belarusian teams from all competitions. However, the players may continue to participate in tournaments, but not under their flag. (dpa/hau)
After his outburst of anger at the tournament in Acapulco, Alexander Zverev has to dig deep into his pocket. The Olympic champion was not only hit with a severe financial penalty – there are also points in the world rankings at stake. (Image credit: dpa/ ncredited/MexTenis/AP)
