Dhe Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk has criticized the tennis associations’ sanctions against Russian and Belarusian players as insufficient. At the tournament in Indian Wells, California, the 19-year-old demanded that players from both countries be excluded from all competitions, including in their sport.
For the teenager, the tennis associations WTA (women) and ATP (men) as well as the world association ITF lagged too far behind the reactions of the football associations FIFA and UEFA after Russia invaded Ukraine: “Look at the big sport, what was done there – it was right.”
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In tennis, Russia and Belarus are only excluded from the Davis Cup (men) and the Billie Jean King Cup (women). Professionals from both countries, on the other hand, are allowed to continue to compete in tournaments including the four Grand Slams with the blessing of the ATP and WTA. Only the naming of their home country and the presentation of their national flag is forbidden.
“Seeing Russians in a tournament hurts me”
Kostyuk said after her second-round win over Ukraine-born Maryna Zanevska of Belgium, “Seeing Russians in a tournament hurts me”. In addition, they only talked about “how they can still transfer money. That is not acceptable to me.”
In view of the war, Kostyuk also lamented the lack of distance between Russian players and their country’s government. “One cannot be neutral in this matter. These ‘no war’ demands also hurt me because they have no real substance,” explained Kostyuk.
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The new world number one, Daniil Medvedev, said after the war began that “tennis is sometimes not that important”, but he did not criticize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (sid/jvd)
