Tennis: Isner calls for the "return of Russian flags," Stakhovsky "invites" him to spend a week in Ukraine

Tennis is one of the sports most affected by the war imposed by Russia on Ukraine since February 2022. This is due to the large number of players from both countries who have established themselves at the highest level. Last Friday, Russian Karen Khachanov reached the final of the Canadian Masters 1000 in Toronto, losing to American Ben Shelton in three sets.

This gave another American, John Isner, who retired in 2023, the opportunity to express an opinion on his social networks: "Could the Russians have their flag back? It's become a bit ridiculous." A Twitter post "printed" by more than a million people. This did not escape the notice of another former player, the Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, formerly ranked 31st in the world .

Committed to the Russian invasion, the 39-year-old responded to John Isner. Also on social media: "Dear John Isner, I would like to invite you to Ukraine. After a week here, you can tell me for yourself whether you think the athletes deserve to have their flag back or not. None of the players you are defending have expressed regret or even condemned the invasion of Ukraine."

A message accompanied by images of bombings on Ukrainian soil. John Isner did not respond to Sergiy Stakhovsky's "invitation." Since the beginning of the conflict, the ATP and WTA professional tours have banned the display of Russian and Belarusian flags in competitions, as well as the mention of these nationalities.