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Tennis fans were left confused when an attempt was made recently to stop Daniil Medvedev from speaking about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
A few days ago, Ukrainian player Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. She was scheduled to face Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Tsurenko stated that she had a panic attack after the WTA chief executive, Steve Simon, told her not to be upset if Russian and Belarusian players supported the war.
After Iga Swiatek defeated Emma Raducanu in the fourth round, she was asked to comment on Tsurenko and her position on the war. The World No.1 empathized with Ukrainian players and their suffering, and called for action to stop the "Russian aggression."
Russia's Medvedev was also asked to comment on the subject in a recent press conference. But when the journalist tried to ask a follow-up question, the moderator of the press conference stopped him.
The World No. 6 then intervened, and asked for the journalist to be allowed to complete his question.
Journalist: So when you say — can I just follow up, please?
Moderator: I think that's enough for the question.
Journalist: I don't think so. You cut me off the last time. I would like to ask a follow-up to Mr. Medvedev. It's fair. It's brief.
Moderator: We've had enough discussion on this topic. We need to move to the next one.
Journalist: No, we haven't.
Medvedev: Let's hear the question, for sure.
While fans on Twitter appreciated Medvedev's gesture, they blasted the WTA and the ATP for trying to avoid discussions on the war. Some even complained about the tournament not uploading Swiatek's press conference on YouTube.
"This is terrible. I guess that's why Iga's press hasn't been published till now," a fan tweeted.
"Is there a WTA+ATP cover-up conspiracy about the war in Ukraine? Whatever happens to commentators talking about sports can't be separated from politics? This episode is the thick of it," another user wrote.
"I’m not very political or keen on modern journalists but it was cool how Medvedev let the journalist ask the war question when the PR official tried to move on," another tweet read.
Here are some more reactions:
Daniil Medvedev to face Frances Tiafoe in BNP Paribas Open 2023 SF
Daniil Medvedev extended his winning streak to 18 matches by defeating Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The Russian hasn't lost a match since his third-round exit from the 2023 Australian Open in January. He won back-to-back titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai last month.
Medvedev will next take on Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. The two players have faced each other four times on the tour, with Daniil Medvedev winning on each occasion.
