"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.

"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.

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.