Russian Tennis Player Andrey Rublev Writes 'No War Please' on Camera After Dubai Win
Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev wrote "no war please" on a television camera after his semifinal win over Hubert Hurkacz on Friday at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Tennis players often autograph or write a short message on the camera after wins.
Rublev, who's the second-ranked Russian in the ATP Tour rankings at No. 7, wasn't asked about the message during his post-match interview, according to the Associated Press.
His anti-war statement comes after Russia launched a military attack against neighboring Ukraine on Thursday and moved toward the country's capital city, Kyiv, on Friday.
Last week, Rublev teamed with Ukrainian player Denys Molchanov to win the doubles tournament at the Open 13 event in Marseille, France.
Daniil Medvedev, a Russian who's set to become the new top-ranked player in the world, also expressed disappointment about the invasion on Thursday.
"By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," Medvedev told reporters at the Mexican Open. "We play in so many different countries. I've been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro. It's just not easy to hear all this news. I'm all for peace."
The tennis players joined a growing list of athletes from both Russia and Ukraine who've called for an end to the military offensive ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rublev will face either Canada's Denis Shapovalov or the Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely in Saturday's championship match in Dubai.
