Svetlana Kuznetsova hits out at Petra Kvitova over her "Russophobia"
Svetlana Kuznetsova has come to the defense of her fellow countrymen after Petra Kvitova expressed disagreement with the participation of Russians and Belarusians at Wimbledon and the Olympics.
Kuznetsova responded with surprise to Kvitova’s statement and wrote an entire article conveying her sentiments on the issue. The two-time Grand Slam also accused Kvitova of harboring a negative attitude towards Russians.
Kuznetsova claimed that propaganda and 'Russophobia' are widespread right now, and expressed her belief that athletes should not get involved in these issues.
"It is clear that the Czechs are very opposed to the Russian people," Kuznetsova stated. "There is now propaganda and Russophobia all over the world. However, I believe that athletes should not get involved in this. They just have to play tennis."
Kuznetsova, the US Open 2004 and Roland Garros 2009 champion, believes that sports should be a space where athletes can compete and excel irrespective of their origin. She acknowledged that there may be issues between countries, but went on to argue that it is not the place of athletes to get embroiled in such matters.
"I understand if politicians play tennis, but ATP and WTA try to keep this sport away from politics," she said. "And if we start this topic, let's talk about all the wars that have taken place for almost the whole modern period in various countries and their consequences for sport."
Svetlana Kuznetsova speaks out against sports getting political
Svetlana Kuznetsova has also denied claims that tennis players are influenced by politics. In response to Petra Kvitova’s comments on Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation in Wimbledon and the Olympics, Kuznetsova argued that tennis players have no understanding of politics.
"Tennis players don't even understand politics - I don't understand, colleagues from the national team don't understand. Why connect them with this?" - Kuznetsova said.
While Kuznetsova’s statements may hold true for some tennis players, recent actions by Russian athletes suggest otherwise.
Anastasia Potapova wore a Spartak Moscow shirt during a match against Jessica Pegula, which many interpreted as political provocation. Anastasia Gasanova also referred directly to military actions in Ukraine on her social media account, claiming that Russia had occupied Donetsk.