Two Ukrainian female tennis players took a swing at the WTA on Monday when they criticized the organization for failing to take a stance on Russia’s invasion of their country. Marta Kostyuk, ranked 54th in the world, and Lesia Tsurenko, a former top 25 player now ranked 127, both posted a letter on social media expressing “our great surprise and dissatisfaction at the lack of any response to the situation in the world.” our motherland”.
“It is especially strange that in past cases of social justice and sexual harassment, the WTA’s response has been swift, appropriate and brutal,” they wrote.
“We demand that the WTA immediately condemn the Russian government, remove all tournaments from Russia and approach the ITF to do the same.”
They urged the WTA to “follow the guidelines of the IOC”, which has called for a sporting ban on Russia.
But Kostyuk and Tsurenko did not call for a ban on Russian players.
“We fully support our colleagues from Russia and every Russian-speaking tennis player, as we understand that the unprovoked attacks took place without their knowledge and participation.”
“Stop the war. Stop the Russian aggression. Bring peace to our homes. Be HUMAN,” they concluded.
The WTA on Monday tweeted a video of Ukrainian sisters Dayana and Ivanna Yastremska entering the court for a doubles match in Lyon.
The video showed Dayana with a large Ukrainian flag draped over her shoulders.
“Sending love home,” the WTA caption said.
The pair lost 6-3, 6-4 to Spaniard Georgina Garcia-Perez and Switzerland’s Xenia Knoll.
Dayana tweeted: “It’s hard to be in court when all thoughts about Ukraine and family.”
On Sunday, Dayana said she and her family spent two nights underground in Odessa.
“After spending two nights in the underground car park, my parents decided at all costs to send me and my little sister out of Ukraine! Mom, Dad, we love you very much, take care of yourself!!! I love your my country,” wrote the former top 25 player.
Also on Sunday, the Ukrainian Tennis Federation wrote to the European Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Federation demanding that they expel Russia and Belarus.
The top-ranked Ukrainian female player, Elina Svitolina, has pledged to donate her prize money from upcoming tournaments to her country’s military and aid organizations “to defend You, our country.”
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Svitolina, the world’s number 15, also sent a long tweet on Sunday: “I’m devastated, my eyes won’t stop crying and my heart won’t stop bleeding.”
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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