Accept Elina Svitolina’s request and make Russian players 'neutral', Mats Wilander tells ATP and WTA
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Published 01/03/2022 at 11:08 GMT
One IOC recommendation in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine states that sports federations could class Russian and Belarussian stars as “neutral athletes”. This has been backed by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who as it stands is refusing to play Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open on Tuesday. Eurosport expert Mats Wilander calls it a “fair suggestion” and addresses the “sensitive” subject.
'I applaud their efforts' - Wilander on Svitolina and players taking stand over Ukraine invasion
The ATP and WTA should adhere to the IOC’s recommendations following Elina Svitolina’s request for Russian and Belarussian tennis players to be made “neutral athletes”, says Eurosport tennis expert Mats Wilander.
In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, IOC guidance states that sports federations should remove Russian teams and athletes from events, or class them as neutral athletes in international competitions.
The move prompted UEFA and FIFA to suspend Russian football teams until further notice, meaning as it stands the national teams will not be able to compete at the men’s 2022 World Cup or the women’s Euro 2022, while Spartak Moscow will be kicked out of the Europa League.
Svitolina issued her own ultimatum on Monday, stating she would refuse to play a Russian and Belarussian opponent until the WTA classes them as neutral – meaning “no national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed” per IOC.
The Ukrainian, whose match against Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open on Tuesday remains in doubt, does not want Russian and Belarussian tennis stars to be suspended – a stance supported by seven-time Grand Slam champion Wilander.
Wilander told Eurosport: “It's a fair suggestion. I don't think you can put it on the Russian players themselves, but I do think that the professional tennis circuit, you're not really representing your country as you are playing the tournament, you’re just representing yourself. It's professional tennis and it's not that you are winning for your country.
“It's not the Olympics, it's not Davis Cup, it's not the Billie Jean King Cup. So I think the ATP and WTA can make a stance and say that you can play the tournament. We're just going to remove any association with your country, there's not going to be your country's flag next to your name, there's not going to be the name of your country after your name or before your name. And we're not going to mention your country when we write about you as you have won or lost your match.
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“Then it would be a choice that the Russian player themselves have to make. Are they okay to play under those circumstances? I think it's fair and I think it's a temporary situation. And I do think the ATP and the WTA can go out and make a stance. They don't have to disagree or agree with any politics. Just disassociate the player with the country of Russia.”
A number of Russian stars have spoken out against Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, including the new men’s No 1 Daniil Medvedev.
Men’s No 6 Andrey Rublev wrote “no war please” on a camera following a match in Dubai last week, while Potapova has said Russian athletes are becoming “hostages of the current situation”.
Wilander said criticising Vladimir Putin’s actions is a “sensitive” subject for Russian players to address, but said their efforts should be “applauded”.
He added: “Andrey Rublev comes out and says ‘no war please’. I think that’s what everybody feels. Always every war that starts we all feel that and obviously for him to come out and say that publicly, it's not as easy maybe in his situation as it is for other people and other countries.
“The situation is very sensitive. None of them have come out and said that they dislike their leader or that they disassociate with their leader or their country so far. They're just asking for no war please.
“There must be a diplomatic way to resolve this. So I applaud their efforts in trying to make their voice heard in a specific way, in calling for peace not war and then stopping right there because obviously we don't want them to have their own personal safety being threatened by going too far and becoming too much of a politician.”
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