Iga Swiatek earns Alexandr Dolgopolov's praise for her stance against lifting ban on Russian and Belarusian players

Iga Swiatek has received commendations from former Ukrainian tennis player Alexandr Dolgopolov for her vocal opposition to the lifting of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Swiatek expressed her disappointment that the tennis governing bodies did not impose a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Swiatek has been vocal about the ongoing conflict, firmly believing that it underscores the urgent need for diplomacy and dialog to foster peace and stability in the region. The Polish player is of the opinion that greater support could have been extended to the affected Ukrainians.

On Wednesday, April 5, Alexandr Dolgopolov expressed his gratitude to Iga Swiatek for her unwavering support.

The Ukrainian also emphasized the need for Russian and Belarusian players to be banned from playing until their governments take action to stop the ongoing war and provide aid to those affected by it.

"As usual @iga_swiatek speaking truth. Not only were they excluded after ww2, but also look how the USSR viewed the blame for the war. Yes, for russia it’s a sensitive matter, their sports. Until they are ready to support us and fight against evil openly, they shouldn’t play..," Dolgopolov tweeted.

Iga Swiatek completes one year as world No. 1 in Women's Tennis Association rankings

Iga Swiatek with the 2022 French Open title

Iga Swiatek has successfully maintained her position at the top of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings for an entire year since she first earned the coveted No. 1 spot on April 4, 2022.

This remarkable achievement has placed her in an elite group of only nine women who have held onto the top spot in the rankings for a full year since the introduction of the computerized ranking system in 1975.

Swiatek ascended to the top of the tennis world rankings after Ashleigh Barty's sudden retirement in 2022. From that point on, the Polish star's dominance was undeniable, as she claimed eight titles throughout the 2022 season, including the coveted French Open and US Open titles. By the end of the season, Swiatek's impressive win-loss record stood at 67-9.

Unfortunately, the 21-year-old was unable to defend her title at the 2023 Miami Open due to a rib injury. As the clay-court season approaches, she faces a challenging task in maintaining her No. 1 ranking.

Iga Swiatek currently has an impressive 8,975 ranking points to her name. This gives her a comfortable lead of over 2,000 points ahead of the world No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka.