After winning against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, world number 7 Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev had left a message for those watching the broadcast to see.
Taking a marker pen out, Rublev wrote “No war please,” on the camera which followed his progress into the finals.
No caption needed. @AndreyRublev97 #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/NzCIuPUEZp
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 25, 2022
Previously Won Doubles Event With Ukrainian Tennis Player, Denys Molchanov
What made the 24-year-old message more poignant was his relationship with Ukrainian tennis player Denys Molchanov.
The pair had known each other for a long time since Rublev started playing tennis at the age of 15. Both of them had trained at the same place where Molchanov had helped Rublev in the beginning.
“We both spoke Russian and he was a big guy and I was just a kid, so he was taking me with him to dinner and to do things,” Rublev said.
On 21 February, the pair was also dubbed as “faces of peace” when Molchanov and Rublev had won the Marseille doubles title together.
The faces of peace tonight : Denys Molchanov from Ukraine and Andrey Rublev from Russia winning doubles together in Marseille, as old friends, laughing loudly between the questions in the presse room. #RussiaUkraineConflict #tennis Photo @CedricRouquette for @Tennis_Majors pic.twitter.com/X3Hu3OSWy9
— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) February 20, 2022
Athlete’s Response To Crisis in Ukraine
As Russian and Ukrainian troops engage, worldwide efforts had been triggered to make Russia stop. Aside from economic sanctions, athletes have also voiced out their wish for peace.
National football teams from Poland and Sweden have also refused to play Russia in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Other athletes have also been impacted by the ongoing conflict – Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska along with her sister had to flee and make their way to France when the conflict reached the southern port city, Odesa.
Fingers crossed that the crisis in Ukraine will be resolved sooner as more prominent voices such as Rublev speak out against the violence that’s caused by war.
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Read Also:
- 10 Facts About the Russia-Ukraine War That Are Known So Far
- Ukrainian Tennis Star Dayana Yastremska Fled to France After Russia’s Invasion
- Why Other Countries Aren’t Helping to Fight Russia Invasion in Ukraine
- Countries Are Now Supplying Ukraine With Weapons, With the US Giving US$350 Million Worth of Weapons
Featured Image: Twitter (@TSN_Sports)