Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova sharply criticised Russian tennis players on the tour over their stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, following her third-round exit at the French Open.
Oliynykova lost in straight sets on Saturday to Russia's Diana Shnaider, whom she had also criticised earlier in the week over what she said were actions that supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian has been outspoken over the war in her home country and said players from Russia were allowed to participate in international tournaments even though they openly took part in events sponsored by Russian companies linked to the war effort or even after what she said was promoting the positions of Russia in relation to the war on social media.
"The Russian players, let's be real, they don't want to communicate. They have these horrible beliefs. For me this is something what I think we need to stop to accept in the professional sports," Oliynykova told a press conference.
"If they don't want to hear and they continue to spread this propaganda, then there should be some mechanism in our tour to stop this," she said.
"If I will stay silent... I don't see any sense of being here. I believe that the mission of the sport is to unite people to stay together for some right things. The silence here on tour is dangerous, and that's not right."
Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian players have competed on the men's and women's tours without their nations' flag, as neutral athletes, as in many other sports and events, including the Olympics.
"I know that some people disagree with my actions. I know that some people would prefer that I stay silent. But what I do is not about politics, it's about humanity," Oliynykova said.
"When people are being killed, while children are dying, when violence is justified or celebrated... we cannot protect those who support or excuse such actions."
When asked about Oliynykova's comments, Shnaider (above) said she had not seen them and she played exhibition tournaments in Russia as a way of going back to see her family.
"About social media, I have no idea what she found. I have no idea, so I don't have any comments on that," Shnaider said.
When asked specifically to give her thoughts on the war in Ukraine, Shnaider said: "I'm not going to speak anything about the situation. I'm here just to speak about tennis and about my game, about the second week of a French Open. Just enjoy making it for the first time, and that's it. Just enjoy the win today."
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka (below) cut through the French Open chaos as the world number one beat Australia's Daria Kasatkina 6-0 7-5 to seal her place in the fourth round after seismic upsets in the previous two days at Roland Garros.
With top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-times Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic exiting in the last 48 hours, Sabalenka restored order with a commanding display to book a tantalising meeting with Japan's Naomi Osaka.
"It has definitely been a great week," Sabalenka said during her on-court interview.
"I'm happy to be through to the second week, happy with my level, and to be able to handle the fight that she brought and get a straight-sets win.
"Thank you (to the crowd). Honestly, that's just a dream to play in front of you all and feel the support."
The 28-year-old was reminded that it was her 100th victory as the world number one, making her the ninth player to achieve the feat since the inception of the WTA rankings.
Sabalenka joins Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Justine Henin and Iga Swiatek in the honours list.
"I've got goosebumps," said Sabalenka, who struggled with dips in her form and crippling service issues a few years ago.
"It means the world to me and I'm just happy that in the tough moments I stayed tough. I was fighting and never gave up and that is what it has brought me.
"I'm super proud of myself and my team. We've reached an amazing level that felt impossible."
Sabalenka (above) wasted little time to get going on a sun-drenched Court Suzanne Lenglen, winning the opening five games with a mix of power from the baseline and precision at the net, before she fought from 15-40 down in the next to secure a bagel.
Russian-born Kasatkina, who began representing her adopted country last year, broke and held against the run of play in the second set to draw chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" and those voices soon became a lot quieter.
An unforced error from Kasatkina allowed Sabalenka to draw level at 2-2, and the four-times Grand Slam champion stayed in touch before dialling up the intensity late on to complete her eighth victory in 10 meetings between the pair.
She will now take a 2-1 record to the meeting with fellow four-times major winner Osaka, eyeing a place in the quarter-finals as she chases her maiden title in Paris a year after finishing runner-up to Coco Gauff.
Osaka (above) dazzled with an all-gold outfit but had to dig deep for a hard-fought 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4 victory over American teenager Iva Jovic.
Playing in a gold sequined top and skirt - her latest fashion statement in Paris - Osaka found it hard going from the start, with the American teenager dulling her opponent's sparkle in her first Grand Slam third-round appearance.
The 18-year-old Jovic may have found herself in unknown tournament territory but looked completely at ease on Court Suzanne Lenglen as she pushed the former world number one to a first-set tiebreak.
Osaka, seeded 16th, had wasted two set points at 6-5 and needed three more before subduing the American 7-5 in the tiebreak.
It was a similar story in the second set, with a break apiece and Jovic winning the second tiebreak to level.
The third set was again on a razor's edge, with Jovic refusing to buckle and matching Osaka's power blow for blow.
But the Japanese carved out a match point at 5-4 on the American's serve and converted it to move into the next round.
Diane Parry, the last Frenchwoman standing in the French Open women's draw, pulled off a stunning 6-3 4-6 7-6(3) victory over American Amanda Anisimova, advancing to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
The 23-year-old, ranked 92nd in the world, delighted the home crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier as she eliminated Anisimova, the sixth seed and a two-time major finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2025, as well as a Roland Garros semi-finalist in 2019.
