“It’s terrible to play without a flag or anthem, but we have to represent the country.” Former tennis player Morozova talks about her neutral status

Multiple USSR tennis champion Olga Morozova said in an interview with that Russian athletes should participate in the Paris Olympics with a neutral status.

In December, the IOC announced it would allow Russian athletes to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with individual neutral status.

— Should Russians participate in the Paris Olympic Games with a neutral status?

— International competitions are necessary. Without them you lose the opportunity to compete with the best players around the world, participating in international tournaments you get a completely special feeling and experience.

It’s terrible to play without a flag or anthem, but we have to represent the country! Everyone who comes to the stadium knows that Medvedev or Rublev are Russians. A lot of people think you shouldn’t play neutral, but I think it’s necessary. Of course, we have to fight for national symbols, but there is no need to completely exclude ourselves from international competitions due to their absence.

— Is it a competent position that the ATP and WTA allow Russians and Belarusians to play in a neutral status? Indeed, in many sports we are completely excluded from world competitions.

— A telling moment was when Russians and Belarusians were not allowed to attend Wimbledon in 2022 and the WTA and ATP were stripped of ranking points from the tournament. This suggests that the International Tennis Federation understands the importance of Russian players’ performance on the international stage. This is a recognition of the strength of Russian tennis players. The ATP and WTA have shown that they fight for their players, regardless of their nationality, and that is an important point,” Morozova told .

The Paris Summer Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.