Russian tennis star Kudermetova uncertain about Olympic participation

The participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in this year's Olympic Games is generating significant discussion. Recently, Veronika Kudermetova, who expressed her doubts about competing in Paris in an interview with journalists from Sports.ru, further intensified the situation.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced numerous sanctions. These restrictions extend to the upcoming Olympic Games, where teams from these countries are barred from competing in team sports, and individual athletes can only participate under a neutral flag.

Occasionally, Russian athletes publicly declare their intention to opt out of the Olympics. This topic resurfaced with 27-year-old Veronika Kudermetova, preparing for the Grand Slam Roland Garros in Paris.

In an interview with journalists from the Russian portal Sports.ru, the tennis player shared her thoughts on this year's Olympic Games. The 27-year-old admitted that she is currently unsure about participating in the event.

The Olympics seem close, but it's still too early to predict. For us, athletes from Russia, everything is unclear. Surely everyone desires it, but no one knows what will ultimately happen. The situation can change in many ways, and I try not to think about it, she said just before the start of Roland Garros.

Kudermetova elaborated on her thoughts in further statements. She explained that her participation in the Olympics depends on how athletes from Russia and Belarus are treated during the event. The 27-year-old emphasized that she would compete if athletes from these countries were not isolated from the rest of the participants.

If, however, the conditions are too harsh, and they isolate us or restrict us, or if the conditions for athletes from Russia and Belarus are inappropriate, then I will not want to compete. If everything is like it was in Tokyo (referring to the 2021 Olympic Games - editor's note), and the conditions created for neutral athletes are the same as for others, then of course, I want to compete. But if it is different, it is unlikely that I will play, she declared.

Kudermetova was quickly eliminated from the Roland Garros competition. On Sunday, May 26, the 29th-seeded Russian lost 2-6, 4-6 to the Czech Marie Bouzková.