"We want to do our job" - says Rublev explaining sports should be separate of politics

Andrey Rublev says Russian tennis players should be allowed to continue to compete at tournaments despite the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

Rublev, who advanced to the semi-finals of Indian Wells after a 7-5 6-2 win over Grigor Dimitrov on Friday, wrote 'No war please' on a camera lens after his semi-final win at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

Nigel Huddleston, the United Kingdom’s government’s sport, tourism and heritage minister, suggested he will seek "assurance” from Daniil Medvedev and other Russian tennis players that they do not support Vladimir Putin's regime and that the government is in talks with the All-England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) regarding their stance for Wimbledon, which starts on June 27.

Asked about that, Rublev said:

"Talking about the British government, it's like I said, I think we should show a great example that tennis should be outside of politics. Not tennis, but in general sport. We're athletes. We want to compete. We were sacrificing so many things. We don't see our family. Many of the athletes, they change home because of the conditions of the sport, they're doing basketball, football. If you go from one team to another, you move completely, stuff like that."

He further said:

"I think that's the most important thing, that we were sacrificing a lot just to be able to compete, to show that we want to do our job, that's it. I think sport should be outside of politics because everyone say this, but in the end looks like still it's not happening. That's why I hope that in sport they will show there is no politics and we will be a good example to have a huge step forward."