Anastasia Potapova says she was surprised by the reaction she received after being issued a warning from the WTA for wearing a Russian football shirt.
The world No.24 came under scrutiny last month at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for wearing a Spartak Moscow football team shirt during a warm-up on the court. Although such a decision wasn’t against the rulebook, it prompted criticism from other players who perceived it as a gesture of support towards Russia whose government has been conducting military operations in neighbouring Ukraine for over a year which has killed thousands of people.
Women’s world No.1 Iga Swiatek said Potapova shouldn’t have “shown her views in this way at such times” due to tensions between players from Russia and Ukraine. Subsequently, the WTA formally spoke with Potapova about the incident.
Speaking about the incident during an interview with the Russian website Championat, the 22-year-old said she received many supportive messages afterwards but has insisted that her actions were in no way a sign of support for the war.
“I felt support from the Russian media and from many foreign media. Even increased activity in social networks, it became an unexpected hype. I received a lot of messages: “Nastya, do not pay attention, everything is fine, we know that there is nothing wrong with this,’” she said.
”They spoke with support in different languages: they wrote not only in Russian. Never in my life have I received so many Russian-speaking people at this time, and with words of support.”
Under current rules, Russian and Belarussian players are only allowed to compete on the Tour as neutral athletes. However, they are currently suspended from all team events for the foreseeable future.
Last year Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam to implement a blanket ban but has reversed their decision this year following pressure from tennis’ governing bodies. It is understood that as a compromise players from those countries will be required to sign a document pledging not to demonstrate pro-war or pro-government gestures at the tournament.
Potapova has confirmed that she is yet to hear anything from the WTA regarding such a declaration. However, would she be willing to sign one?
“I read about this in the media, but personally no one from the WTA has approached me and said: “Here, Nastya, in a month we will send a paper to the post office, you will need to make a signature,” said Potapova who won the 2016 Wimbledon girls’ title.
“I will make a signature, but who will be easier from it? It won’t end, it won’t change anything. I have repeatedly expressed my opinion about everything that happens. And like any reasonable person, I am against what is happening. But if you have to sign (a declaration) to go to England, I think all of us will. Because after all, we are athletes, our age is not so long, and we want to play as much as possible. Especially when it comes to the Grand Slam tournament.”
Potapova has won 15 out of 23 matches played so far this season and is on the verge of breaking into the top 20 for the first time. She won her second Tour title in Linz earlier this year and more recently was a quarter-finalist at the Miami Open.
