Russian tennis player, Andrey Rublev, wrote “no to war” on a camera lens as he joined compatriot Daniil Medvedev in calling for peace.
Rublev defeated Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7-5) on Friday to advance to the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
After confirming his place in the final with either Denis Shapovalov or Jiri Vesely, the 24-year-old world number seven took a pen.
He then scribed “no to war” on the lens of a television camera.
It’s not uncommon for players to write messages on camera lenses, but an appeal for peace was an emotive move from Rublev.
On Thursday, Russia invaded Ukraine after weeks of rising political tensions.
The conflict escalated on Friday, with reports of fighting within the capital city of Kyiv.
Rublev’s actions came after Medvedev, who will succeed Novak Djokovic, as world number one next week, said he wanted to “promote peace.”
Rublev had initially expressed his wish for peace at a news conference at the Dubai event.
“In these moments, you realize that my match isn’t important,” Rublev said, with a video clip shared to his official Instagram account.
“It is not about my match, how it affects me. What is happening is much more terrible.
“You realize how important it’s to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united.
“We should take care of our Earth and of each other. This is the most important thing.”
