"How it is fair that Ukrainian kids cannot play tennis? How is it fair that Ukrainians are dying?" - Sergiy Stakhovsky lashes out at Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal recently spoke out on Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players in light of the war crimes committed by those nations in Ukraine. He termed the decision "unfair," explaining how athletes are not to blame for the ongoing crisis.

Within hours after Nadal's comments, former Ukrainian pro Sergiy Stakhovsky took to Twitter to voice his displeasure at the Mallorcan's words. He argued for the immeasurable suffering faced by his compatriots ever since Russia invaded his country back in February.

"@RafaelNadal we competed together.. we’ve played each other on tour," Sergiy Stakhovsky wrote. "Please tell me how it is fair that Ukrainian players cannot return home? How it is fair that Ukrainian kids cannot ply tennis? How is it fair that Ukrainians are dying?"

Sergiy Stakhovsky speaks out against Rafael Nadal, but why not against Novak Djokovic?

Rafael Nadal is not the only top tennis star to voice his support for banned Russian and Belarusian tennis players. He is joined by World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in this debate, who also believes Russian and Belarusian players have been wronged by Wimbledon's decision to deny them entry into the event.

Speaking to the media after his win over Laslo Djere at the Serbia Open last month, Djokovic explained that he is well-versed with the adverse impact of war, having grown up in similar circumstances. Despite that, he asserted that he does not believe politics should influence sporting decisions like the one carried out by Wimbledon.

"I will always be the first one to condemn the war," Djokovic said. "As a child of war, I know what kind of emotional trauma a war leaves. Us in Serbia, we know what was happening here in 1999, ordinary people always suffer, we've had a lot of wars in the Balkans. That being said, I cannot support the Wimbledon decision. It's not the athletes' fault. When politics interfere with sports, it usually doesn't turn out well."

Djokovic reiterated his stance on Saturday when he was quizzed on the topic during his pre-tournament press conference at the Madrid Masters.

"As I said, you know, I still stand by my position that I don't support the decision," he said. "I think it's just not fair, it's not right, but it is what it is.

"I heard, yes, I have spoken to some of the Russian players in Belgrade, and, obviously it's not an easy situation to be in, you know, stripped away the right to participate in one of the biggest tournaments if not the biggest tournament in the world," he added.

It is clear that Djokovic is not happy with Wimbledon's decision, much like Nadal. But he has not drawn any bit of criticism from good friend Sergiy Stakhvovsky. This could be because the Serb offered help of all kinds, including monetary, to the former pro.

But then one is led to wonder whether good relationships act as a buffer to protect you when you speak out against someone's ideals. Maybe this is where Djokovic triumphed over Nadal in this particular case.