Rising tennis star Mirra Andreeva has suddenly found herself in the spotlight due to Dayana Yastremska’s request. The Ukrainian Yastremska requested that the WTA place sanctions on Andreeva due to her actions on social media. She then slammed the WTA for not intervening in the matter.
Mirra Andreeva handed Yastremska a defeat on Monday, at the Ladies Open Lausanne. The 16-year-old Mirra won the match 6-0, 6-2 in straight sets.
Dayana released a full statement following her match against Andreeva. She was ‘upset’ that the WTA did not interfere when the Russian teenager allegedly liked a few posts related to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Dayana posted the statement on her Instagram page, confirming that she had indeed lodged a complaint about Andreeva. She also added that the WTA indicated that it would not interfere in this matter.
“Recently, I asked that sanctions be taken against Mirra Andreeva for having liked social media posts that clearly concerned the atrocities committed to Ukrainians and the WTA simply indicated it would not intervene,” she said.
“I am upset but remain committed to fight for my country, my family, and my friends in Ukraine. I would like to give special thanks to Switzerland and the tournament organizers for their warm reception,” added the player (via Express UK).
Like many other tennis players, Dayana Yastremska has been very vocal about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, there is no proof yet to corroborate Yastremska’s allegations against Andreeva.
Dayana Yastremska joins the list of players who have spoken against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Every sport has had to deal with the fallout of the Russian-Ukraine war. Tennis is no exception. Russian and Belarussian players have been allowed to play at events, provided they played as neutrals.
Wimbledon was the only big tournament that banned players from Russia and Belarus last year. The ATP and the WTA responded to this move by stripping the tournament of its ranking points.
Both ATP and WTA have said that they oppose any discrimination against players based on their country of birth. Wimbledon rescinded their ban this year and players from Russia and neighboring Belarus were allowed to play, as long as they did not support the war.
Ukrainian players have made their stance very clear. Elina Svitolina refused to shake hands with Victoria Azarenka after her match at Wimbledon this year. The crowd booed Azarenka on her way out.
Marta Kostyuk also stated that she would not shake hands with Russian or Belarussian players. She was booed when she did not meet Aryna Sabalenka at the net at the French Open.
The WTA stated that it, “has consistently reflected our full support for Ukraine and strongly condemn the actions that have been brought forth by the Russian Government.” However, Ukrainian players feel like they have been let down.
Many people applaud Ukrainian players for taking a strong stance on this matter. Unfortunately, the war shows no signs of stopping and the governing bodies of tennis should do more to protect their players till then.