"No player you defend has condemned the invasion of Ukraine," Stakhovsky responds to Isner after his comments on the return of the Russian flag in tennis
In recent days, John Isner has advocated for the return of Russian flags in competition on the ATP and WTA circuits. On his social media account, the former world No. 8 expressed outrage that athletes representing Russia and Belarus have been playing under a neutral flag since the start of the war in Ukraine three years ago.
In the discussion following his tweet, Isner also stated that he found it abnormal for Ukrainian players not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players.
Former Ukrainian professional tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky, who reached world No. 31, won four ATP titles but is best known for defeating Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon in 2013, responded to his former colleague.
On Instagram, the player who retired in 2022 and has since been defending his country on the front lines, sent a message to the 2018 Miami Masters 1000 winner on social media.
"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.
None of the players you defend have expressed regret or even condemned the invasion of Ukraine," he wrote in an initial Instagram story, before continuing.
"Maybe this will refresh your memory. Moreover, the images you will see took place in our country last week," he added, accompanying his message with videos of the attacks in Kyiv. The capital of Ukraine was hit by a drone and missile attack on August 1, resulting in at least 31 deaths.
