'Maybe this will refresh your memory': Sergiy Stakhovsky hits back at John Isner for raising voice against flag-ban for Russian players

Former Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky has responded to John Isner about his recent post regarding the Russian players. Isner, who retired from professional tennis in 2023, became the first high-profile name in the world of tennis to demand that Russian players get their flags back.

The 40-year-old, who ended his career with 16 titles to his name, in a post on his social media platform X, stated that the whole thing is now becoming a ‘bit ridiculous’ where Russian players are forced to participate in a neutral capacity. “Can the Russian tennis players get their flag back? Bit ridiculous now,” he wrote.

Stakhovsky, who was a former tennis player himself and finished his career in 2022 with four titles to his name, has responded to Isner and asked him to visit his country before making such comments. Stakhovsky, who became world number 31, in a post on Instagram, shared an image’s capital in the latest drone attack, where more than 30 people have been reported to have lost their lives.

"Dear John (Isner), I would like to invite you to Ukraine, and after spending a week here, you can tell me for yourself if you think the athletes deserve to reclaim their flag or not,” he wrote. “None of the players you defend have expressed regret or even condemned the invasion of Ukraine. Maybe this will refresh your memory. Moreover, the images you will see took place in our country last week.”

Background

Russian players have been under the scanner after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started in the first quarter of 2022. Along with Russian athletes, players from Belarus were also penalised for their government’s role in the conflict. It is widely assumed that the Belarusian government have an active role in the conflict and is supporting its old ally, Russia. The conflict, as of now, has resulted in the deaths of thousands on both sides.

The conflict forced different sporting bodies to react and play their role to show support towards Ukraine. In December 2022, the Olympic Summit was organised to take action on the future of Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in various Olympic events under the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The same year, Wimbledon became the first major event where the organisers decided to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing at the mega-event. The decision comes after UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston, while speaking in the parliamentary committee, stated that no players playing under the Russian flag should be allowed to play at Wimbledon.

The ban led to numerous top-100 players not being able to take part in the competition in 2022, including former women’s world number one Victoria Azarenka, current world number one Aryna Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev, Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova and Andrey Rublev.

The ban was lifted in 2023, but the players were forced to play under the neutral flag. "We continue to condemn totally Russia's illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine," said the All England Club (AELTC) chairman Ian Hewitt in a statement back then. "This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted. It is our view that, considering all factors, these are the mostappropriate arrangements for The Championships for this year. If circumstances change materially between now and the commencement of The Championships, we will consider and respond accordingly.”

The decision received mixed feedback from within the tennis community and the government circles. The decision to ban players from taking part in Wimbledon was criticised by ATP and WTA, who threatened to cancel LTA’s membership. On the other hand, the decision to revoke the ban 12 months later received widespread criticism from the politicians in the UK but was appreciated by ATP and WTA, who demanded sports to be separated from politics.