After UN says Israel is committing 'genocide' in Palestine, Elina Svitolina gives her take on why the country is not banned in tennis like Russia

Elina Svitolina recently spoke about the official tennis governing bodies' lack of sanctions on Israel amidst their invasion of Gaza, just like how it happened in Russia's case. The Ukrainian asserted that the reality of sports is political before claiming that "strong measures" must be taken against such aggressors to set examples for the rest of the world.

Ahead of Ukraine's BJK Cup campaign against Spain this week, the 31-year-old sat down for a candid interview with AS about a wide array of topics. During their conversation, the contravening fact that Russia and Belarus have both been banned from ITF and tour-level competitions since 2022 for their war on Ukraine, and yet Israel, which has been denounced by the United Nations for its "genocide" of Palestine, is still allowed to play, came up - eliciting a strong response from her.

While Elina Svitolina conceded that she didn't have "enough information" about why Israel's national tennis teams were still not banned from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, she did concede that tennis pros should be vocal about the situation, especially considering the current state of affairs.

"I think that's the responsibility of the organizations. I don't have enough information on that specific case, but I do think we can't remain neutral in the face of wars and atrocities like this," Elina Svitolina replied when asked about the tennis governing bodies' discrepancies when it comes to Russia and Ukraine. "Some say sport is outside of politics, but when it's used for propaganda, that's not the case.

"You can't be promoting genocide through your athletes.Some steps have already been taken, such as removing flags or limiting participation, but stronger measures should be taken."

For the uninitiated, Davis Cup World Group I match between Canada and Israel was held behind closed doors in Halifax, Nova Scotia due to "safety concerns" after the home nation's fans called for the tie to be called off altogether. The 2022 champions eventually downed the visitors by a scoreline of 4-0 to secure its place in next year's qualifying round.

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Elina Svitolina guides Ukraine to Billie Jean King Cup semifinals with comeback victory

Elina Svitolina celebrates after sending Ukraine's BJK Cup QF win | Image Source: Getty

Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, was instrumental in Ukraine winning their Billie Jean King Cup quarterfinal tie 2-0 against five-time champions Spain in Shenzhen, China on Wednesday (September 17). The World No. 13 reversed a set deficit against Paula Badosa to notch a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 victory in just over two hours to help her team reach the semifinals of the tournament for the first time.

Earlier in the day, Marta Kostyuk had successfully opened her country's account by turning in a phenomenal display to beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6(3), 6-2. The Ukrainians will next face 2024 champions Italy for a place in the BJK Cup title match later this week.