Russian Vera Zvonareva displays 'no war' message during her match against Danielle Collins at the Miami Open
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Published 27/03/2022 at 10:58 GMT
Russian Vera Zvonareva wrote "no war" on the side of her pink visor that she wore during her third-round defeat to American Danielle Collins at the Miami Open. The 37-year-old Zvonareva is the latest in a line of players to declare their unease at the escalating situation in Ukraine, with her compatriot Andrey Rublev and Belarussian Victoria Azarenka among those to oppose the conflict.
Vera Zvonareva of Russia returns a shot to Danielle Collins of United States during the 2022 Miami Open presented by Itaú at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Image credit: Getty Images
Russian Vera Zvonareva displayed a "no war" message during her third-round defeat to Danielle Collins at the Miami Open.
The 37-year-old - a former world No. 2 and a finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010 - was routed 6-1 6-4 by her American opponent.
But it was what she had written on her pink visor that drew the eye, with her anti-war statement the latest to come from players whose countries are involved in the Ukraine conflict.
Zvonareva's compatriot Andrey Rublev wrote "no war please" on a camera lens while playing in Dubai last month - a gesture that went around the world - but has also said that sport and politics should remain separate, following comments from UK Minister of Sport Nigel Huddleston that suggested Russian players should denounce their country's president Vladimir Putin if they want to play tournaments.
Rublev said: "In the beginning, before I wrote this on camera, I was receiving many like bad messages.
“I was not even thinking how many people will see this or where it will go or something. I just wrote what I feel in that moment. That’s it.
“After this, somehow it gets over 22 million views. I think I was one of the first sportsmen in the world who say this. In the end, all the messages I start to receive, almost 100%, all of them were only positive, like, ‘Thank you,’ stuff like that.
“We’re athletes. We want to compete. We are sacrificing so many things.
“I think sport should be outside of politics because everyone says this, but in the end it looks like still it’s not happening."
Belarussian Victoria Azarenka - whose country has been used as a staging post for the conflict - talked of her "devastation" at the "pain and suffering for so many".
Current US Open champion Daniil Medvedev - perhaps the most high-profile Russian player on either the men's or women's circuit - is yet to publicly give his detailed opinion on his country's invasion, whilst admitting that he is "always for peace".
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