"They poured s**t on my players; I am ashamed and hurt that you were offended" - Russian sports presenter Sofya Tartakova speaks out against fellow host for criticizing Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev

Russian tennis stars Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev have found support from sports and radio broadcaster Sofya Tartakova after being heavily criticized by fellow host Anton Anisimov on the talk show 'There is a theme.' Tartakova, who is the lead presenter on the channel Match TV - which also produces Anisimov's talk show - slammed Anisimov and the channel for constantly blasting the players.

Kasatkina and Rublev recently appeared in an interview posted on YouTube, where they admitted to being open to changing their citizenship if big tournaments continued to ban Russian players. Daria Kasatkina even publicly came out and opened up on the challenges of being gay as a Russian citizen.

On his talk show, Anisimov criticized Kasatkina and Rublev for their comments. That earned him a lot of flak from fans as well as Tartakova, who regretted the fact that her compatriots' sentiments were hurt.

“There is a theme!” – a freak show for tongue-tied deputies, pseudo-experts and people who are looking for five-minute fame. For a whole hour on the air of the channel where I have been working since the day of its foundation, they poured shit on my players – Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev. Anton Anisimov, no one is afraid of you, because you are small and weak," Tartakova said in a statement on Twitter.

Tartakova further stated she chose to skip the show that was being aired on her own channel due to the stance the host took against both players. She also revealed that the channel's management did not pay heed to her warning about the content of the program, which eventually ended up offending the players involved.

"Congratulations to my TV channel, which lost interviews of top tennis players in one hour. None of the current players will be able to communicate with Match TV anymore. Was it worth it? I asked the management to protect the athletes and warned of the consequences. They didn’t listen to me," Tartakova said further in her tweet.

She went on to personally apologize to Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev, stating that she was "ashamed" and "hurt" for being involved with a channel that behaved with them in such a manner. Tartakova called working with the two players "a gift," adding that she would continue to back them in the coming days.

"I want to apologize to the guys who were hurt by this program...I am very proud of Andrey and Dasha. Working with you is a real gift. I’m sorry I didn’t save it. I am ashamed and hurt that you were offended. I am on your side," continued the sports presenter.

Daria Kasatkina extended her thanks and support to Sofya Tartakova, who was suspended from her job as a result of her stance. Kasatkina's girlfriend, former Russian figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, also posted a story on her Instagram page in support of Tartakova.

What did Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev say during the original interview?

2022 French Open - Day Eleven

Referring to the participation ban by Wimbledon on Russian players, Andrey Rublev claimed that if he had offered to change his Russian citizenship, he would have been allowed to play in the London Slam. He also stated he could be open to going ahead with that plan if Russian players ended up facing bans from more big tournaments.

"Speaking of Wimbledon, I probably should have changed my citizenship to get there. That would have been acceptable to them. If we'd get completely banned from all tournaments and I wanted to keep my career going, it could have been one of the ways," said Rublev in his interview that was posted on YouTube.

Daria Kasatkina echoed Rublev's thoughts on the same. During the interview, the World No. 12 further shocked the world by declaring that she was gay. The 2022 French Open semifinalist then spoke about how the topic is still considered "taboo" in Russia in this day and age, pointing out the close-mindedness of a sizable portion of her fellow citizens.

"So many subjects are taboo in Russia, some of them more important than ours, it's no surprise. This notion of someone wanting to be gay or becoming one is ridiculous. I think there is nothing easier in this world than being straight. Seriously, if there is a choice, no one would choose being gay. Why make your life harder, especially in Russia? What's the point?" Daria Kasatkina said.