Two professional Russian tennis players advocated for peace with Ukraine Thursday following their respective wins in separate matches.
Daniil Medvedev beat Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-final of the Mexico Open in Acapulco. The 26-year-old pro won 6-2, 6-3 in 70 minutes. Immediately following the match, he shared his wishes for peace in a press conference.
“By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world,” Medvedev said. “We play in so many different countries. I’ve been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It’s just not easy to hear all this news. I’m all for peace.”
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Andrey Rublev, on the other hand, paired up with Ukrainian player Denys Molchanov in a winning match last week. The two took the Open 13 Provence title in Marseilles, France. Medvedev pointed to their partnership as a shining example.
“This was amazing because I think people need to stay together, and that’s the most important [thing],” Medvedev said. “In this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important.”
Rublev also won in his match against Mackenzie McDonald in the Dubai Championships Thursday. Immediately following his match, Rublev pulled out a marker and wrote “no war please” in English on a nearby camera. He admitted he was motivated to speak out after seeing some comments directed at him online.
Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev writes “No war please” on the camera following his advancement to the final in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/GQe8d01rTd
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) February 25, 2022
“In these moments you [realize] that my match is not important,” Rublev said. “It’s not about my match, how it affects me. What’s happening is much more terrible.”
“You realize how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united,” Rublev went on. “We should take care of our Earth and of each other. This is the most important thing.”
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Medvedev will play Rafael Nadal in Mexico Friday night.
