Elina Svitolina said Russian and Belarusian players who denounce Moscow’s invasion of her country Ukraine should be allowed to participate at Wimbledon.
The grass-court major announced on Wednesday that Russian and Belarusian competitors would be banned from this year’s tournament.
The decision means that the likes of men’s world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia and women’s fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus are ruled out of the June 27-July 10 tournament.
Opinion: Wimbledon’s plan to ban Russian players may not be fair, but it’s the right thing to do
World No. 25 Svitolina joined fellow Ukrainian players on Wednesday in seeking a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions but appeared to soften her stance in an interview with the BBC on Thursday.
“We don’t want them banned completely,” Svitolina said. “If players don’t speak out against the Russian government then it is the right thing to ban them.
“We just want them to speak up, if they are with us and the rest of the world or the Russian government. This is for me the main point.
“If they didn’t choose, didn’t vote for this government, then it’s fair they should be allowed to play and compete.”
The governing bodies of men’s and women’s tennis criticized Wimbledon for its decision, while WTA founder Billie Jean King said that the Grand Slam’s decision was a “complex undertaking” amid the challenges and pressures they were facing.
“One of the guiding principles of the founding of the WTA was that any girl in the world, if she was good enough, would have a place to compete,” King said.
“I stood by that in 1973 and I stand by that today. I cannot support the banning of individual athletes from any tournament, simply because of their nationality.”
Svitolina, who has friends and family still in Ukraine, said Russian and Belarusian players had to do more.
Medvedev made a plea for peace on Twitter in February while his compatriot Andrey Rublev wrote “No War Please” on the lens of a TV camera on his way to winning the Dubai title.
“I can count on one hand how many Russian and Belarusian players who have asked me how I’m doing, how is my family, is everyone safe?” Svitolina said.
“That’s why I feel sad about this situation. Personally some people should do a bit more than they’ve done. It’s mysterious.
“The way Russian and Belarusian players have been is very, sad. We’re colleagues who see each other every week so it’s shocking to see this change and so quick.”
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the breakaway players’ body launched by Novak Djokovic in 2020, said that it was committed to protecting the tennis community having heard the experiences of individuals impacted by the war.
“As major competitions throughout our sport contemplate banning Russian and Belarusian athletes, we have to reflect and understand that many of them have lost their freedom of choice and expression, due to the laws being enforced by the Russian and Belarus Federations,” the PTPA said in a statement.
“Speaking against Russian or Belarus or denouncing the invasion may result in imprisonment.
“The PTPA does not discriminate against any tennis player based on nationality, but we will stand against those who support, express or commit violence against the innocent.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru Editing by Toby Davis)