Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk condemns IOC Russia ban

Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has strongly condemned a decision by the International Olympic Committee to provisionally reintegrate Russian athletes into the Olympic Games, calling the move "terrible" and unfair. Kostyuk made the remarks on Wednesday, July 8, shortly after securing her first Wimbledon semifinal berth with a straight-sets victory over Italy's Jasmine Paolini.

The IOC's Executive Board lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee on Tuesday, July 7, a ban that had been in place since October 2023 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The decision marks a significant step toward allowing Russian athletes to compete under their national flag at future Olympics, including the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. Russian and Belarusian athletes have competed as neutrals in many international events since 2022.

Kostyuk, a 24-year-old from Kyiv, said she completely disagrees with the ruling. "I think it's very, very far from fair play for all the countries involved here, not just for Ukraine," she told reporters. "I just want to go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in the Olympics, and that's it." She indicated that Ukrainian...