Watch: Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev writes 'No War Please' after Dubai Championships semifinal win
Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev is now one victory away from capturing the 2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis championship. Following his 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) semifinal win over Poland's Hubert Hurkacz on Friday though, he had other thoughts on his mind.
The seventh-ranked Rublev wrote on the camera moments after wrapping up the win, which has become a common practice among professional tennis players in recent years.
The 24-year-old's actions come as Russian troops have attacked Ukraine this week in "an invasion of a democratic country" that has "fueled fears of wider war in Europe and triggered worldwide efforts to make Russia stop", per the Associated Press and ESPN.
Rublev is far from the only athlete to make their voices on the conflict heard in recent days. On Thursday, Ukrainian Hall-of-Fame boxers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko said they would take up arms to defend their home country.
Vitali has served as mayor of the Ukrainian capital city, Kyiv, since 2014, two years after his final professional bout. Wladimir enlisted in Ukraine's reserve army earlier this month as tensions escalated between the country and Russia.
Soccer players have also expressed opposition to the Russian offensive.
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