The organizers of the British Major under pressure were forced to allow the Russians and Belarusians, so as not to lose the status of the Grand Slam tournament
Former first racket of Ukraine Elina Svitolina thanked the organizers Wimbledon 2023 for supporting Ukrainian athletes during the war against Russia.
“I was happy that they made the decision to remove the Russians and Belarusians last year, because as Ukrainians we fought for it. We tried to talk to the organizers of the competition, with the WTA, ATP, ITF, explain what was happening, why other sports decided to ban and why tennis did not. We were very grateful to Wimbledon for this decision. Last year I was here for one day, I saw the Ukrainian players. They were of the same mind.”
They were forced to change their approach because there was a lot of pressure from the tennis authorities. This was an expected step, because the organizers would not want to lose the Major, and we need to accept this. Anyway, I am grateful for the support, for help with accommodation and in many other matters. We are really grateful for their position.
“Ukrainian sport has been thrown back at least 10 years into the past. A lot of sports infrastructure, clubs, both tennis and other sports, were destroyed as a result of rocket attacks. It’s hard to imagine when the situation will return to normal.”
“Those children who are now in Ukraine, they have no childhood. With the help of my foundation, I try to make sure that they see the light ahead, keep dreaming, keep training. I really try to do my best. This includes the organization of children’s tournaments, and the organization of children’s camps so that they can train and continue to dream of tennis and other sports.
“We — Serhiy Stakhovsky, Marta Kostyuk, Lesya Tsurenko — did everything to use our platform to attract attention, to help Ukraine and Ukrainians. I think we have opportunities for this and we should use them. There really aren’t many people with that ability. And it’s sad that other tennis players are not ready to take on this responsibility.”
Earlier it was reported that 1 pound from each Wimbledon ticket sold will be transferred to help Ukraine. The organizers of the tournament also announced that they would cover all expenses of Ukrainian tennis players and one member of their team for the entire grass season.
During Wimbledon 2023, there will be a ban on Russian or Belarusian flags and symbols of support for the country’s regimes. The tournament will not be broadcast on Russian television and the Russian media will not be accredited.
Wimbledon 2023 will take place from 3 to 16 July. In the first round, Elina Svitolina will play with five-time British Major champion Venus Williams.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
