Top-seeded Elina Svitolina, a 27-year-old professional tennis player from Ukraine, stated she will withdraw from the Monterrey Open 2022 rather than face a Russian opponent in Mexico unless the governing bodies follow the International Olympic Committee바카라s (IOC) lead and insist that players from Russia and Belarus are only identified as 바카라neutral athletes바카라. (More Tennis News)
Svitolina wrote Monday on Twitter that she did not want to play her opening-round contest against Anastasia Potapova 바카라nor any other match against Russian or Belarussian tennis players until바카라 the WTA women바카라s tour, ATP men바카라s tour and International Tennis Federation 바카라follow the recommendations of the IOC바카라 and bar those countries' competitors from using any national symbols, colors, flags or anthems.
The Russian military assault on Ukraine was on its fifth day. 바카라I do not blame any of the Russian athletes,바카라 Svitolina wrote. 바카라They are not responsible for the invasion of our motherland.바카라 Svitolina is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist with 16 career tour-level singles titles who has been ranked as high as No. 3 and is currently No. 15.
Another tennis player from Ukraine, 32-year-old Lesia Tsurenko, wrote on Twitter that she and others 바카라would like to express our great surprise and dissatisfaction with the lack of any response to the situation with our Motherland.바카라
Tsurenko, a quarterfinalist at the 2018 US Open who바카라s been ranked as high as No. 23 and is No. 127 this week, called on the WTA to immediately condemn the Russian government. The ITF said it has cancelled events on Russian soil 바카라indefinitely,바카라 and no events would be scheduled in Belarus this year.
It also postponed an event scheduled for Ukraine in April, citing 바카라heightened security concerns.바카라
바카라This is a fast-evolving situation. We are constantly monitoring events and remain in active discussion with the ITF tennis family, the ITF Board and security experts to decide and align around our next course of action. We stand united with the population of Ukraine,바카라 the ITF said in a statement issued Monday.
바카라Right now, our priority remains the safety of all those participating in our events. We will of course be providing more information as soon as possible.바카라 The WTA and ATP did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
