"Is not about politics, but about people's suffering": Swiatek on why she spoke out on war

Iga Swiatek recently spoke about her opinion on the war in Ukraine.

In an interview with Wprost, the world No. 1 talked about the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is a neighboring country of Poland, and mentioned the suffering of thousands of people due to the international situation.

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"War for me is not about politics, but about people's suffering, and that is why I decided to speak out," Swiatek said.

“As a Pole, from the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I was emotional about this issue. For me, it is important that we - athletes, public figures - have an impact on society. Our views shape others, and this can trigger change," she added.

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The 3-time Grand Slam champion referred to the controversies that have arisen on the circuit due to the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes:

"I have the impression that all these elements, plus the fact that, after all, Russian and Belarusian athletes are in a sense not responsible for the actions of politicians from their countries, makes for a certain dissonance. And a moral conundrum,"

The Polish player also talked about the hate that athletes receive on social media, particularly after suffering defeats.

"Actually, after every defeat, a lot of hate is poured. Once there was so little of it that I realized that there were more positive comments. But since my popularity and sports level have increased, the percentage of people who negatively evaluate me has also increased," Iga Swiatek concluded.

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