The former Ukrainian tennis player believes that the organizers of the French Open should rule out Russian players from the outset.
Former Ukrainian tennis player Alexandr Dolgopolov said in an interview on Monday with RTLthat the organizers of Roland-Garros “lacked courageby allowing Russian players to participate in the tournament and called for “ban russiafrom the world of tennis.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) indicated last Wednesday that the door to the Roland-Garros tournament (May 22-June 5) would not have closed for Russian players, including Daniil Medvedev (world No.2), and Belarusians. “They (the organizers of Roland-Garros) lack courage, they especially do not want to assume possible consequences. Frankly, it is not enough to say that we are against war. It’s a war against our nation, affecting our civilianssaid the 33-year-old Ukrainian, who returned to kyiv in mid-March to take up arms and defend his country.
Dolgopolov, former winner of three tournaments on the ATP circuit, said he was too affected by the situation in Ukraine to think of the Parisian Grand Slam. “Seriously worrying about Roland-Garros today is a joke. It’s not (more) important than the lives of thousands of people“, he asserted. “Strict neutrality is imposed on Russian, Belarusian, said Wednesday the director general of the FFT Amélie Oudéa-Castéra during a press conference. We remain on the principle of all the Sports Ministries of the European Union and of all the key countries around us. An individual athlete is only banned if he has been selected by his country. It’s the framework, we stick to it»she justified. «For the moment“, added President Moretton of the FFT.
“Tennis has a very loose posture today. »
Alexandr Dolgopolov
In addition to the organizers of Roland-Garros, Aleksandr Dolgopolov also challenged the leaders of world tennis. “I told the ATP: tennis has a very loose posture today. I think the tennis world makes decisions that lack courage. Russia must be banned from what is run by the free world. Because today, saying: “I am against war” is insufficient. Their athletes must condemn their government, recognize that it is mass murder“, he insisted.
The former player called on Russian tennis players to disassociate themselves from their government and to firmly assert their opposition to the war. «They are good guys, I know them personally. I’m pretty sure they’re against this war. But if they take a neutral position, like + I’m against the war + it’s like saying to us “Leave it to me, I live my life in my corner, I don’t want to be involved, I just want to play tennis”. This position is not tenable today, sorry“, he asserted.