Women’s World No. 1 Iga Swiatek says tennis authorities missed an opportunity to ban Russian and Belarusian players outright after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, but the moment has passed to do so now, she told the BBC. 

The 21-year-old Pole has been a staunch supporter of her Ukrainian rivals criticising the WTA for not doing enough to support them. Unlike other sports which imposed an outright ban following the invasion in February 2022, tennis officials permitted those from Russia and Belarus to continue playing, but as neutral athletes.