Elina Svitolina: Ukraine tennis star will play WTA event after receiving neutral flag assurances | Tennis News

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will play Russian Anastasia Potapova on Tuesday in the first round of a WTA Tour event in Mexico

Ukrainian world No 15 Elina Svitolina is set to contest her first-round match in a WTA Tour event in Mexico later on Tuesday after being given assurances that Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova will compete under a neutral flag.

Svitolina, the top seed in Monterrey, put out a statement on Monday saying she would not play against any Russian or Belarusian opponents unless all national emblems, flags and colours were removed.

There has been no official announcement from the WTA, but Svitolina told ITV News: “There’s been a lot of discussion.

“Today they will release a statement that they will remove the flags. So we are waiting just for the final confirmation about that. I will be playing tonight because my opponent is going to be under a neutral flag.”

Svitolina added that she took her stance because she felt tennis’ governing bodies were not doing enough to support Ukraine and sanction Russia and Belarus.

“In the tennis community, more should have been done,” she said. “Today is already six days that serious and horrible things are happening in Ukraine.

“That’s why I decided to make a move because I didn’t feel enough support from our tennis community. As Ukrainians, we couldn’t sit silent anymore in feeling so much pain.”

Twenty-year-old Potapova put out her own response on Instagram on Monday, saying: “Unfortunately, now we, professional athletes, are becoming hostages of the current situation.

“I’m sorry, but even though I am a stranger to politics, I am against grief, tears and war.”

Svitolina, a 2019 Wimbledon and US Open semi-finalist, will wear Ukrainian colours for the match. She added: “For sure it’s not going to be (just) another WTA match. I feel like I have my country on my shoulders.”

Svitolina: I do not blame any Russian athletes

Svitolina’s initial statement on Monday, said: “I believe the current situation requires a clear position from our organisations: ATP, WTA and ITF.

“As such, we – Ukrainian players – requested to ATP, WTA and ITF to follow the recommendations of the ICO to accept Russian or Belarusian nationals only as neutral athletes, without displaying any national symbols, colours, flags or anthems.

Svitolina added: “I do not blame any of the Russian athletes. They are not responsible for the invasion of our motherland.

“Moreover, I wish to pay tribute to all the players, especially Russians and Belarusians, who bravely stated their position against the war. Their support is essential.”

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Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev signed ‘no war, please’ on a camera following his win in the Dubai Tennis Championship’s semi-final

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Russian Daniil Medvedev reacts to becoming world No 1 while his country is involved in conflict with Ukraine

The ITF said it has cancelled its events on Russian soil indefinitely, and no events would be scheduled in Belarus this year. It also postponed an event scheduled for Ukraine in April, citing heightened security concerns.

“This 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,” the statement read.

“We stand united with the population of Ukraine. Right 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.”

Leif Shiras: Banning individual players not the answer

American former player Leif Shiras told Sky Sports: “It’s a bold pronouncement [Svitolina’s Monday statement]. I know that she’s driven by the emotional attachment she has for her country and the welfare of family of friends, and I think all of us feel that way about what’s unfolded in Ukraine.

“Whether it reaches the standard for individual tennis players to be reckoned with in this fashion, I’m not certain.

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Leif Shiras feels Russian tennis players shouldn’t be banned for their country’s war on Ukraine but understands Elina Svitolina’s position

“I remember back at a time when our US president pulled athletes from the Russian Olympics [Moscow, 1980] and a lot of the athletes felt they were hard done by.

“Athletes don’t mix as easily with politics, and maybe tennis players even more so, they seem to be individuals travelling around the globe.

“Plus the way that [Andrey] Rublev and [Daniil] Medvedev handled themselves with the pronouncement on the camera, I think they are probably doing as much as they can as individual people trapped in this political world.

“The tours would be wise to make some sort of acknowledgement. I don’t think banning particular, individual athletes might be the answer, but certainly, some sort of acknowledgement of the situation would be beneficial for everyone.”

‘This is a terrible nightmare’

Svitolina had previously said her people are living a “terrible nightmare” and has called on the sporting world to do whatever it can to help.

The world No 15 put up an Instagram post after Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday stating that her heart was bleeding after looking at the events that were transpiring back home.

Speaking with Sky Sports News, the 27-year old, who is married to French tennis star Gael Monfils, has called on the war to be stopped.

“I’m shocked at this terrible nightmare,” said Svitolina. “I’m really praying every single minute for my family, for my friends, for all people in Ukraine and around the world for safety, for peace.

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Ukrainian world No 15 Svitolina previously said she is praying for her people and the situation in Ukraine is a terrible nightmare

“Considering what people are going through in Ukraine and what my family are going through while being in Ukraine and friends – I try to keep in contact with them to see what’s happening there.

“I’m very safe compared to them so. To be honest with you, I’m only thinking about them and for me it’s a very stressful time because I cannot do anything. I cannot really help them. I wish I could help them. It’s extremely tough mentally for me. I cannot imagine what they are going through. I’m just praying.

“It’s a horrible situation for the people in Ukraine, what they have to go through without sleepless nights, without food and electricity so that’s horrible. For me, it’s heartbreaking to hear this.

“The war is something we have to stop and it’s something better than anything else. What is happening is very tough for me to imagine.”