Russian tennis players Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev call for peace amid attacks on Ukraine

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Daniil Medvedev’s quarterfinal win at the Mexican Open on Thursday guaranteed him the World No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career but news of his native Russia invading Ukraine was the focus of his attention. 

"Watching the news from home, waking up here in Mexico, was not easy," Medvedev told reporters after beating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-3. "By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world. We play in so many different countries; I’ve been in so many countries as a junior and as a pro. It’s just not easy to hear all this news. ... I’m all for peace."

RUSSIAN SOCCER PLAYER FEDOR SMOLOV BECOMES FIRST TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST INVASION OF UKRAINE

Medvedev is not the first Russian athlete to call for peace amid Vladimir Putin’s-led aggression into Ukraine. 

Fedor Smolov, a 32-year-old striker for Dynamo Moscow, posted a black square to his Instagram just hours after Russia launched the largest military attack of one state against another on the European continent since World War II. 

Daniil Medvedev of Russia during a match between Daniil Medvedev of Russia and Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan as part of day 4 of the Telcel ATP Mexican Open 2022 at Arena GNP Seguros on Feb. 24, 2022 in Acapulco, Mexico.  (Regina Cortina/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

"No war," his caption read, followed by an emoji of a broken heart and the Ukrainian flag. 

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"In these moments, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important," Medvedev continued. "It was not easy to play and I'm happy that I managed to win the match, but it was bit of a roller-coaster day for me."

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