US Open ‘should have taken more serious action’ against Russian players says Elina Svitolina

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina ‘doesn’t support’ the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at the US Open

It was announced last week that the US Open was to follow in the French Open’s footsteps and allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete under a neutral flag.

As a result, the likes of world number one Daniil Medvedev and world number eight Andrey Rublev will be able to compete at Flushing Meadows in 2022.

The decision means that Wimbledon are the only Grand Slam to ban the two European nations players from their event.

The AELTC decision came on the back of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in February this year and the move was in contrast to the French Tennis Federation, ATP, WTA and ITF’s decision to allow players from Russia and Belarus to compete as individuals under a neutral flag.

Reflecting on the announcement, former world number three Elina Svitolina was hoping that the USTA would follow the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) lead and ban players from the two countries competing in the Major Slam.

Speaking exclusively to Reuters in a recent interview, the Ukrainian told reporters, “It’s their decision to make, they decided to take this path. I don’t support it because I feel like they should have taken more serious action.

“Our (Ukraine’s) sports is thrown back by 10 years minimum because all the infrastructure has been damaged or completely destroyed. I can tell you many, many factors that can play a role in the decision of not letting Russian and Belarusian players compete.”

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