On Wednesday, the organizers informed about the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the tournament. Daniil Medvedev, second in the ATP ranking, will not be able to take part in the Grand Slam tournament. Aryna Sabalenka, fourth in the ranking, will also be missing. Wimbledon officials are the first in the tennis world to decide on individual exclusions for Russians and Belarusians.
Kostiuk praises Poland for supporting Ukraine
She also expressed her position on this matter. The tennis player talked about her feelings about Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
– Initially, we didn’t know what to do. We have many Russian friends, tennis players. We spent time with them. We expected them to come to us at the Indian Wells tournament and say “what a horror movie, we’re shocked, maybe you need help?” Meanwhile, the Russians and Belarusians did not greet us, they did not come to talk privately. We were all shocked and it was a really awful feeling. Our first thought is – they really support it all, right? At least it is shown by their behavior. Knowing the Russians, the chance that this is true is high. However, we did not have any confirmation – says Marta Kostiuk.
The Ukrainian added that the players from her country went to the WTA authorities.
– We went to the WTA authorities and said that the Russians and Belarusians should be excluded because they are doing nothing to stop the armed aggression against Ukraine. The reaction of the organization? None. This surprised and shocked us even more. We felt as if we were alone with this problem – the 19-year-old complains.
The tennis player also praised the Poles for supporting the Ukrainians.
– Nobody sided with us, except for Poles and Czechs. They supported us publicly. This is a wall that we should destroy, but we realize that we cannot achieve it. Anyway, apart from the court, this emotional wave is a bit smaller, because we cross the roads with the Russians only on the court. It’s hard to be in this hatred all the time – adds Kostiuk.
Świątek supported the Ukrainians
Let us recall that she expressed her support for Ukraine during the tournament in Miami. A tennis player from Raszyn played with a ribbon in the colors of the Ukrainian flag during the meetings. – I want to tell Ukraine to stay strong. I hope it will get better soon – emphasized the 20-year-old and announced that she would continue to help people suffering as a result of Russian aggression. – We, as sportsmen, as public figures, it would be good for us to use our voice – she said in an interview with TVP Sport.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
