"They just don't want to open their eyes and face the truth": Svitolina reiterates frustration at continued Russian participation

Elina Svitolina is still frustrated about Russian tennis players getting a chance to play tennis events feeling like they are being rewarded when they shouldn't.

Svitolina has held a really firm stance on the matter which is not quite different from what her fellow players held. Most Ukrainian tennis players would completely ban Russian players from the sport. Some support them but the vast majority of the tennis community seems to oppose that idea and it's certainly not backed by the tennis organisations and IOC.

Speaking on the matter, Svitolina said:

"It's hard for me to say how they are treated, because I didn't take part in competitions [over the past year]. But I don't think anything has changed there, unfortunately. The WTA and ATP tennis associations still allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to continue playing."

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And added:

"But I hope that we will be able to change this situation. There are already many organizations that are trying to provide all the arguments in our favor. This is clearly not fair. Russian athletes have the opportunity to continue playing as if nothing ever happened. And our athletes are dying for our country."

She confirmed speculatiosn about her own talks to those organisations but with no effect:

"Their most common argument is that sports belong outside of politics. They say that athletes have nothing to do with politics. I already have had so many meetings with various officials of the Olympic Committee and tennis organizations that, to be honest, I no longer have the moral strength to fight them. After all, they just don't want to open their eyes and face the truth."

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