Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wants her Russian and Belarusian colleagues to speak out about their position on the war in her native country.
“For us, the Ukrainians, it is very important that they express themselves, that they say which side they are on. We want to know, we want to be reassured. Since they refuse to express themselves on this subject, we don’t know if they support their government, if they support the actions of their army, Svitolina told The Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday. Because sport, in Russia and Belarus, is an essential propaganda tool. »
In an interview with The Associated Press, Svitolina also discussed mental health and feeling useless in the war effort.
Mental fatigue has also forced the ex-noh 3 in the world to take a break from tennis. She added that the stress contributed to aggravating her back pain.
“It’s been very hard mentally for a few months, because everything was on my shoulders. This is the reason why I decided to take a break, to regain my senses, she confided. To be at the top of your game, you have to be 100% mentally and physically. And that wasn’t the case lately. »
Russian participation
The Wimbledon tournament, which begins on June 27, has ruled out Russian and Belarus players due to the invasion of Ukraine. The Internationals of France, which will begin on May 22, will allow Russian and Belarusian players to participate, under a neutral banner. For Svitolina, the silence must be broken.
“They must express themselves on their position, it is very important. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Grand Slam tournament or a [autre] tournament. All Russian and Belarusian athletes must take a stand, in order to be sure that there are no bad people in our environment. »
Svitolina was also asked whether Russian or Belarusian players told her they are against the war in Ukraine.
” Very little. It’s sad, because many athletes from other countries have come to me to express their support,” Svitolina said. It hurts, and we don’t quite understand why [les athlètes russes et biélorusses] are holding back. »
The war is in its 11and week. kyiv continues to repel Russian troops, but several southern cities are shelled by artillery from the country of Vladimir Putin.