It has been more than a year since the Russia-Ukraine conflict stirred up the world. Consequently, this eventually affected the tennis realm too, and that even led to Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players last year. However, the opinions were divided, as some major players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal condemned the move to mix sports and politics. Nonetheless, Russian player Daria Kasatkina stood up against her country’s regime for charging an offense against Ukraine.

Former Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, who joined the Ukrainian military, hailed Kasatkina for bravely speaking up and taking a stand.

Former Ukrainian player Sergiy Stakhovsky hails Daria Kasatkina for speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict

The conflict that took the attention of the entire world last year left the tennis realm in a difficult situation too. The Russian and Belarusian players eventually faced a ban at Wimbledon. Moreover, a lot of players condemned the move as it mixed sports with politics.

However, another lot of players came out in support of Ukraine, including the highest-ranked Russian player, Daria Kasatkina. Calling the conflict “a full-blown nightmare,” Kasatkina bravely made her stance clear. However, this has put her in danger, as she confessed to worrying about the consequences.

Sergiy Stakhovsky, the Ukrainian player who defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2013, hailed her “brave” move. In an interview with The Guardian, he stated, “Kasatkina has more courage than all of the Russian players combined together.” Adding to the praise, he said, “She did something incredibly brave. I incredibly admire her.”

Stakhovsky then talked about her game. He stated, “She was always a great tennis player, a talented one. She always played a tennis which was different from (others).” However, her bold and unapologetic statement about the conflict caught his attention. He added, “But when I heard the interview she gave, I was honestly blown away. I deeply respect her for what she did and what she said.”

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Daria Kasatkina voiced her concern for the Ukrainian players’ well-being and wished for the conflict to end.

Bold remarks by Kastakina over the Russia-Ukraine conflict

In a YouTube interview with Russian blogger Vitya Kravchenko, Kasatkina voiced her unapologetic views. She showed genuine concern for the well-being of Ukrainian players.

She stated that she wants to play against Ukrainian players “who don’t have to worry about being bombed.” The world no. 10 added empathetically, “I can’t imagine what it’s like to have no home.”

Besides this, Daria Kasatkina has publicly come out as gay, which again shows her confident and bold self. Do you also think that sports and politics should be separated? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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