The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended returning athletes from Russia and Belarus at international competitionsand Iga Sviatek (WTA #1) said that she did not understand this decision.

Iga SvyatekPhoto: Sydney Low/CSM/Shutterstock Editorial/Profimedia

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Iga Svyatek is against the return of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions

The athlete from Poland, who wears the Ukrainian flag on her cap during matches, said that the war is not over yet, and she does not understand why Russians and Belarusians are now allowed to compete under a neutral flag.

“At the moment, the situation is quite difficult, because at the beginning of the war there were not many solutions in one direction. At first, they were, as it were, banned in other sports, not tennis.

Then it changed a little, and they started to let them in, which is very confusing, because I have the impression that nothing has changed in Ukraine, and cities are still being attacked. Many Ukrainian athletes fight and die. It breaks the heart.

I just hope that whatever decisions are made, sports will be able to unite people, not divide them. But there is tension, so it can be difficult and difficult to do.

Being just an athlete, I don’t have full influence on what happens, so we have to compete as best we can, regardless of the circumstances” – Iga Svyatekquoted by Reuters.

In the 2022 edition, players from Russia and Belarus were not allowed to play at Wimbledon due to Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.

On Friday, March 31, the organizers of Wimbledon announced that they will meet Russians and Belarusians at the London major, but under a neutral flag.

Petra Kvitova said that the players were not consulted about the decision of the Wimbledon organizers and that this issue was not discussed in the locker room.

The Czech player said she was on the side of Ukraine in Vladimir Putin’s war, while Olena Rybakina said the organizers of the All England Club made the right decision by taking athletes from Russia and Belarus.

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