World number one women’s tennis player Iga Swiatek has said that the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "confusing" because Ukraine is still under attack.
Russia and Belarus were sanctioned by IOC after invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but now wants them back across all sports in order to have a chance to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Russian and Belarusian tennis players have been playing as neutrals since March last year.
"Right now the situation is pretty complicated because at the beginning of the war there weren't many decisions one way. At first they (Russian and Belarusian athletes) were kind of banned in other sports, not in tennis," Swiatek told reporters on Thursday.
"Then it changed a little bit and they are starting to be allowed, which is pretty confusing because I feel nothing changed in Ukraine and the cities are still under attack.
"Many Ukrainian athletes are fighting in the war and losing their lives. It's heartbreaking."
Earlier, Swiatek, who wears a Ukrainian flag on her cap during matches, had also backed a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus in order to send a strong message.
"I just hope no matter what the decisions is going to be, the sport will be able to kind of put people together and not separate them," Swiatek added.
"But there are tensions, so it may be tricky and hard to do, but you know me as just one athlete, I don't have full influence on what's going on, so we kind of have to just compete (at) our best no matter what the circumstances are."