Pole Iga Sviatek (21 years old, 1st place WTA) took a stand after the announcement of the International Olympic Committee, which recommends the reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes into the competition, but with a neutral status.

Iga SvyatekPhoto: USA TODAY Network / ddp USA / Profimedia

The IOC recommended the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, but earlier this year it unveiled a plan to reintegrate athletes from those countries into international competition to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

In tennis, players from Russia and Belarus can compete under a neutral flag in ATP, WTA and ITF competitions.

Iga Svyatek believes that the general ban on players from Russia and Belarus should have been imposed because of the war in Ukraine.

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