Tennis Australia Sends Stern Warning After Kokkinakis' Russian Exhibition Participation
News
Tennis Australia has reminded its players of the organization's views about them competing in Russia after Thanasi Kokkiankis played at an exhibition in the country.
Several governing bodies around the world have taken strong stances against athletes competing in Russia because of the country's illegal invasion of Ukraine launched by its government in February 2022.
That criminal act by the Russian government led to the ATP and WTA canceling all tournaments in Russia and Belarus (the Belarusian government strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine), and players from those countries compete under neutral banners.
Tennis Australia is among the governing bodies that have made it clear that participating in any Russian tournaments is frowned upon and that the organization's policy mirrors that of the Australian federal government.
However, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Kokkinakis ignored this advice and traveled to St Petersburg for an exhibition event from November 29th to December 1st, despite being warned not to by Tennis Australia.
The reported move by Kokkinakis is particularly controversial because the St Petersburg exhibition was sponsored by Gazprom, a large oil and gas company that the Russian government owns.
Gazprom has been sanctioned by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since April 2022. Several other governments have also sanctioned the company because of its ties to the Russian government.
Tennis Australia issued a statement about players competing in Russia. While it did not directly mention Kokkinakis, the statement made clear that the governing body disapproved of his reported actions, if true.
"For several years, Tennis Australia has publicly and privately supported Ukraine athletes and sought and abided by federal government policy and recommendations in regard to Russia. This support and compliance continues."
"We advise athletes against competing in Russia and are in ongoing discussions with DFAT to provide education to players about the potential ramifications for doing business in this area."
Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine have caused controversial moments in tennis as different tournaments and organizations figure out the best way to respond to the situation. That has led to some high-profile disagreements.
A notable example was Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players from the Grand Slam in 2022. The ATP and WTA responded to that decision by not awarding ranking points for the event, diluting its importance.
Ukrainian players have taken a stand by refusing to shake hands with their Russian and Belarusian counterparts after matches. The Ukrainian No. 1 Marta Kostyuk has called for players from those countries to be banned.
Conversely, Belarusian WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka dislikes politics and sports mixing. She thinks sports should unite people by being free from current affairs and hopes that this will change in the future.
Tennis Australia is not taking the route Sabalenka would like. Receiving lucrative offers from Russia is a dilemma for players, who have to balance their personal beliefs with trying to make a living from tennis.
Some argue that there is hypocrisy among some countries and governing bodies since many of those opposing Russia's brutal and illegal activities in Ukraine welcome Saudi Arabia's involvement in tennis despite its poor human rights record.
