"I feel nothing changed in Ukraine and the cities are still under attack": Swiatek finds IOC stance on Russian-Belarusian players confusing

Iga Swiatek had her say on the 'confusing' IOC stance which has seen Thomas Bach u-turn from saying that players from Russia and Belarus shouldn't be playing to now saying that politics and sport should be separate.

But for Swiatek, the fact that there is still a war going on and many still going through plight doesn't sit right with her.

“Right now the situation is pretty complicated because at the beginning of the war there weren’t many decisions one way. At first they (Russian and Belarusian athletes) were kind of banned in other sports, not in tennis,” Swiatek said.

“Then it changed a little bit and they are starting to be allowed, which is pretty confusing because I feel nothing changed in Ukraine and the cities are still under attack.’

“Many Ukrainian athletes are fighting in the war and losing their lives. It’s heartbreaking.”

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But also from her perspective, there isn't a lot she can do barring speak out and compete as normal.

“I just hope no matter what the decisions is going to be, the sport will be able to kind of put people together and not separate them,” she continued.

“But there are tensions, so it may be tricky and hard to do, but you know me as just one athlete, I don’t have full influence on what’s going on, so we kind of have to just compete (at) our best no matter what the circumstances are.”

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