“How is it fair?” Sergiy Stakhovsky slams Rafael Nadal for his comments on the Wimbledon ban
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Sergiy Stakhovsky and Rafael Nadal
Last Month, AELTC decided to ban Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon, due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. With this decision, Wimbledon drew a lot of criticism from all around the world for mixing sports and politics. World number 1 Novak Djokovic also disagrees with this decision and called it ‘discriminating’.
On May 1, Rafael Nadal was asked about the same during the Madrid Open press conference and the 21-time grand slam champion labeled this decision by Wimbledon “unfair”. He also stated that he feels “sorry” for his fellow players. Reacting to this statement, Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky has heavily criticized Rafa, as he responded to his statement on Twitter.
“Ukrainians are dying”- Sergiy Stakhovsky
Stakhovsky, the former world No. 31, took to social media to refute Nadal’s allegation that Wimbledon’s recent decision to exclude Russian and Belarusian competitors from this year’s tournament was “unfair.”
“I think it’s very unfair to my Russian tennis mates, my colleagues. In that sense it’s not their fault what’s happening in this moment with the war,” 21-times major winner Rafael Nadal told reporters at the Madrid Open on Sunday. “Let’s see what happens in the next weeks, if the players will take some kind of decision … there’s one thing that’s negative, there are things that are clear. When the government imposes some restrictions, you just have to follow them.”
It appears that Nadal’s thoughts on the ban did not sit well with Sergiy Stakhovsky, a Kyiv native who attacked the Spaniard’s viewpoint with a furious Twitter rant in which he underscored the severity of the present situation in his homeland. “We competed together… we’ve played each other on tour,” wrote Stakhovsky in response to Nadal. “Please tell me how it is fair that Ukrainian players cannot return home? How it is fair that Ukrainian kids cannot play tennis? How is it fair that Ukrainians are dying?”
Russian and Belarusian players to miss out on Wimbledon 2022
In reaction to what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has forbidden players from both nations from competing in this year’s grasscourt major. Belarus has served as an important staging ground for the invasion. The ban will prevent players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev from competing at Wimbledon later this year, with the tournament’s next edition due to begin in late June.
Also Read: “Unfair” Rafael Nadal takes a strong stand against Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian athletes
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)