“My thoughts are that it’s terrible,” Kostiuk said<\/a> of the IOC ruling, according to ESPN.<\/p>\n “I think it’s very, very far from fair play for all the countries involved here, not just for Ukraine. I 100% don’t agree with this decision. … I just want to go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in the Olympics.”<\/p>\n Russian and Belarusian athletes have competed as “neutral” players in international sports tournaments, including the Olympic Games<\/a>, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.<\/p>\n In their recent decision, the IOC recommended the neutral status be removed for athletes in individual sports, paving the way for Russian flags to fly at the Games once again. <\/p>\n Got an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Kyiv Independent so far?<\/p>\n SUBMIT AN OPINION<\/a><\/p>\n Kostiuk told the press that it was difficult to focus on tennis<\/a> while competing at Wimbledon amid Russia’s recent ballistic missile blitz<\/a> against Kyiv. <\/p>\n “It’s not easy to disconnect entirely,” she said. <\/p>\n “It was really tough for me last week when the first big attack happened. Then on Monday they ruined like four streets of residential buildings. It was like 5 kilometers away from where my parents live. Again, another difficult night and a lot of dead people, innocent people, kids. It’s not easy.” <\/p>\n Kostiuk, 24, has previously used her platform as an athlete to draw international attention to Russia’s attacks against Ukraine<\/a>. A native of Kyiv, she has spoken about the difficulties her family members back home face due to the full-scale war. <\/p>\n Kostiuk is the second Ukrainian woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals after Elina Svitolina<\/a>, who did so in 2019 and 2023. No Russian singles players remain in the current Wimbledon tournament. <\/p>\n International sports bodies have gradually eased<\/a> some restrictions on Russian athletes since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although participation in many competitions remains subject to neutral status or sport-specific rules.<\/p>\n President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian athletic officials and organizations<\/a> of using “sports venues to spread anti-Ukrainian narratives and Russian propaganda.” <\/p>\n Many of the so-called “neutral” athletes from Russia and Belarus who participate in international sports competitions have ties to the Kremlin<\/a> or have expressed support for the war<\/a> against Ukraine.<\/p>\n![\"Mail](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mailimage_20260611-142654.png\")
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