Iga Swiatek on Russian and Belarusian athletes playing on the tour: "On the one hand, I know that it is not their fault that their country started the war, but on the other hand it is a social responsibility"

Iga Swiatek recently expressed her opinions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating that while the war was not the fault of Russian and Belarusian players, it was still their social responsibility.

Swiatek has been extremely vocal about her feelings regarding the war from the very beginning. She has never missed any opportunity to show her empathy and support for the people of Ukraine.

She even organized an exhibition match in her native Poland that raised PLN 2 million, which was given to the Elina Svitolina foundation, United 24, and UNICEF Polska, three organizations that have played an essential role in assisting the neediest since the start of the war.

Swiatek was recently questioned about her thoughts on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing on the WTA Tour in an interview with the Polish website Interia Wydarzenia.

The Pole stated that the matter is "complicated" and that she does not want to make a decision on her own. She does, however, think that there are plenty of "wise" people in the ATP and WTA who can direct players in the right direction.

"To be honest, this is a complicated situation and I don't really want to make such a decision myself, because I know that there are many wise people, even in the WTA and ATP, who could, for example, declare themselves in advance and guide us in such a way that it does not affect the mood in the locker room or the personal relations between the players. On the one hand, I know that it is not their fault that their country started the war, but on the other hand, there is social responsibility," Iga Swiatek said.

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"I would like to build an academy in Poland where young people would have more freedom to play tennis" - Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek at the 2022 US Open

During the same interview with Interia Wydarzenia, Swiatek was asked about her plans after her tennis career came to an end. The three-time Grand Slam champion said that she wants to establish a tennis academy in Poland where young people can enjoy the sport with more freedom. The current world No. 1, however, believes that, in order for that plan to materialize, she will need to gain more life experience.

"I have a vision and an idea, but for that to turn into a plan, I have to gather some life experience and just get closer to that moment, and I'm going to play for a few more years," Iga Swiatek said.

"I would like to build an academy in Poland and a place where young people would have more freedom to play tennis and not combine with the availability of courts, with extra-curtacular facilities such as a gym or access to physiotherapists," she added.