"Sending a strong message worldwide, that we are united in the sanctions imposed": Svitolina believes Russian and Belarusian players should be banned from Olympics

Elina Svitolina is of the opinion that Russian and Belarussian players should be banned from the Olympics to send a strong message to the world.

Svitolina has been very active since Russia invaded Ukraine, working towards helping her country in any way she can. It's been tough to do because she was pregnant at the same time but she's ramping up preparations to return to the tour and that's going to best way she can represent Ukraine internationally.

She's also been very outspoken about the need to sanction players from both Russia and Belarus due to the invasion backing the Wimbledon decision and similar efforts. She would like to see them banned from the Olympics Games as well in order to send a strong message to the world:

"The Olympics are the biggest dream and ultimate privilege for athletes. They are the largest platform for inclusion and diversity in sports, capturing the attention of the world. With this in mind we must stick to banning Russian and Belarusian athletes, sending a strong message worldwide, that we are united in the sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus."

She added:

"There are consequences for the heinous acts of their governments; their lives cannot continue as normal and the world, nor the Russian or Belarusian people can be ignorant of the atrocities they are committing in Ukraine."