A few days ago, American former tennis player John Isner sparked controversy with a comment involving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. He took to X and called the banning of the Russian flags in tennis ridiculous.
His comments came during the men’s final at the Canadian Open. America’s Ben Shelton beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov to lift the biggest title of his career.
Isner, on X, suggested that the tennis governing bodies should lift the ban on Russian flags. As expected, the comment went viral and received mixed reactions. Those supporting his views said sports should never mix with politics, that players should not face the consequences of their government’s actions.
But some of the critics of Isner said the players from Russia and Belarus should be stopped from competing altogether until the war stops. Former ATP Pro, Sergiy Stakhovsky, noticed the tweet and took to his Instagram story, asking Isner to spend some time in Ukraine and then share his thoughts about the flag situation.
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 has expressed regret or even condemned the invasion of Ukraine.