Russian tennis players, including Daniil Medvedev & Andrey Rublev, call for peace, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina asks rest of the world for support

Several Russian tennis stars, including Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Elena Vesnina, have called for peace amid their country's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia took up arms against Ukraine on Thursday and their troops have now cornered the country from the north, east and south. According to reports, the military forces of both nations are now battling for control of Ukraine's capital Kiev.

Many Russian tennis players have taken to Instagram to endorse the phrase "No War," suggesting that they do not show solidarity with their country's actions.

The active Russians who have voiced their disagreement with the ongoing conflict include Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Elena Vesnina. Veterans like Mikhail Youzhny and Nadia Petrova have also called for peace.

Medvedev even claimed on Thursday that the prospect of war was so distracting that he didn't initially pay heed to the fact that he will become the new No. 1 in next week's ATP rankings.

"Tennis sometimes is not that important, and definitely lot of feelings when I woke up... then Novak lost and before my match, I didn't even know I was going to become No. 1 if he loses no matter what," the Russian told the press in Acapulco.

Rublev believes the situation in Ukraine is much more important than tennis at present.

"I mean, I said in these moments you realize that my match is not important," he told the media in Dubai. "It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible."

Below are screen grabs of Instagram stories shared by other Russian players:

Mikhail Youzhny makes it clear on his Instagram that he doesn't want war

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Ukraine's Elina Svitolina asks the rest of the world to help her home country

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, took to Twitter on Friday to express her anguish at the current situation in her home country. She urged the rest of the world to help Ukraine, while also thanking her compatriots who were defending their motherland.

"My heart bleeds...," she tweeted. "We, Ukrainians, ask for support and help of the whole full-fledged civilized world. My sincere thanks to our guys and girls who defend our motherland."

She had also tweeted earlier that Ukrainian nationals endured a "sleepless and terrifying night" after their country was first attacked.

"My heart is bleeding," she wrote in a separate tweet. "Another sleepless and terrifying night for Ukrainian people.. Please help us to stop the war."