In an interview, German tennis champion Eva Lys was critical of the behavior of some players from Russia. The native Ukrainian complained about disrespectful actions.
German tennis champion Eva Lys has heavily criticized the behavior of Russian players on the WTA tour in the face of the war in Ukraine. “A lot of Russian players who are here show disrespect to those affected by the Ukraine war,” Lys said in a Eurosport interview. “They laugh about it, make fun of it. Some demonstratively put on a tracksuit in the Russian national colors,” said Lys, who is currently taking part in a smaller tournament in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan. “It is all the more important that we spread what is really happening there. This message must reach everyone.”
Lys: “Bomb attacks heard over the phone”
Lys was born in Kyiv before she came to Germany with her parents as a small child. Relatives of hers still live in the Ukrainian capital today. Lys tries to keep in touch with them as much as possible. “When we talk on the phone, the bombs can be heard through the phone. People are helpless in the face of the attacks, but they are incredibly brave,” Lys said.
The tennis world association ITF as well as ATP and WTA recently decided to exclude Russian and Belarusian teams from all competitions. However, the players may continue to participate in tournaments, but not under their flag.