Best rated professional tennis player Iga Swiatek criticized the sport’s governing bodies on Wednesday, saying officials should have taken a stronger stance by banning Russian and Belarusian players following the invasion of Ukraine.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been allowed to participate in WTA and ATP events as neutral athletes. Wimbledon announced in 2022 that these athletes would be banned from competing, a move that was reversed this year.
But Swiatek told the BBC on Wednesday that he felt tennis should have been more aggressive in taking a stand against Russian aggression.
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“After World War II, German players were not allowed, as well as Japanese and Italian (players). And I feel like this kind of thing would show the russian government that maybe it’s not worth it,” the Polish tennis player told the British outlet.
“I know it’s a small thing because we’re just athletes, a small part of the world, but I feel like sport is very important and it’s always been used in propaganda.”
Several international sports governing bodies continue to take a hard line against the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.
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A olympic qualifying event for women’s fencing in Poland was canceled this week after the International Fencing Federation voted last month to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to resume competition.
But banning those athletes from tennis now would be “unfair,” Swiatek said.
“Tennis really wasn’t like that, but now it would be quite unfair for Russian and Belarusian players to do that because this decision was supposed to be made a year ago.”
Swiatek expressed empathy for those anti-war athletes, acknowledging the complexities of having to speak out against it.
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“It’s not their fault that they have a passport like that, but on the other hand, we all have some kind of impact. And I feel that whatever helps stop Russian aggression, we need to go that way as far as decisions. the federations are doing.
“I really respect [speaking out against the war] because I think it’s brave for Russian athletes to say that because their situation is quite complicated and sometimes it’s hard for them to speak out loud about it.”