Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina did not hold back. Speaking at the Italian Open in Rome, the world No. 10 tore into the International Olympic Committee for lifting its long-standing restrictions on Belarusian athletes, calling the move “very sad and very painful.” For her, this is not a policy debate. This is personal. And rockets are still falling on Ukraine.
The IOC Decision That Sparked Global Outrage
On May 7, 2026, the IOC Executive Board formally lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes competing in international events under their national flag and anthem.
This marks the most significant reversal of the IOC’s position since February 2022, when it first recommended banning Russian and Belarusian athletes following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Belarus had been used as a direct staging ground for that offensive, making it a central figure in international sports sanctions.
Here is exactly what changed under the new IOC ruling:
- Belarusian athletes can now compete under their national flag, anthem, and team colors
- Team sports are now open to Belarusian national squads, not just individual competitors
- Athletes can enter qualifying events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics starting this summer
- Russian athletes remain under separate, ongoing restrictions tied to anti-doping concerns
The IOC justified the shift by citing its “Fit for the Future” process, arguing that “athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments.” It also pointed out that Belarusian athletes had competed as Individual Neutral Athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics (17 athletes) and the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games (7 athletes) without any incident on or off the field of play.
Russia, however, stays suspended. Ongoing concerns around the Russian anti-doping system and active investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency are keeping Russian athletes out for now.
Svitolina’s Raw and Emotional Reaction in Rome
For Svitolina, this was not a policy update. It was a gut punch.
She was restrained, but every word carried real weight. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Svitolina has refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents after matches. It is her quiet and consistent protest on the court, match after match, tournament after tournament.
Off the court, she carries an even bigger responsibility. Svitolina is an ambassador for UNITED24, the Ukrainian government’s fundraising platform established by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Through this role, she has raised funds to help restore a bombed residential complex in Irpin and finance a school shelter in the Odesa region that serves 222 children. For her, sport and war are never two separate conversations.
She also acknowledged a fellow Ukrainian player who reportedly faced threats from the WTA over her public criticism of Russian and Belarusian players, saying she wanted to speak directly with her compatriot to understand the situation fully.
Tennis Bodies Are Refusing to Follow the IOC’s Lead
The IOC may have changed its stance. Not everyone in global sport is going along with it.
The International Tennis Federation made its position crystal clear. The IOC’s announcement does not change the existing suspensions of the Belarusian and Russian Tennis Federations. Those bans remain firmly in place, for now.
However, the ITF did leave one door open. Belarus’ membership status will come up for a formal vote at the ITF’s annual general meeting in October 2026, where member nations will get their say.
World Athletics also held its ground. The federation confirmed that sanctions put in place in March 2022 remain active, and that any review would only begin when there is “tangible movement towards peace negotiations.”
Here is a clear look at where major sports bodies currently stand:
| Organization | Current Stance on Belarus |
|---|---|
| IOC | All restrictions lifted (May 7, 2026) |
| International Tennis Federation (ITF) | Federation suspensions still in place |
| World Athletics | Sanctions remain until peace movement |
| WTA / ATP Tours | Neutral status continues on professional circuit |
So for tennis, nothing changes on the court yet. Belarusian players will keep competing without their national flag or anthem on the professional tours.
Sabalenka Wants Her Flag Back and the Court Is Divided
Not all reactions to the IOC ruling were filled with pain.
Belarusian world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, also speaking at the Italian Open in Rome, made no secret of where she stands. “I really hope they’re going to give us our flag back,” she told reporters. She spoke about being an inspiration for young Belarusian kids and the pride she would feel representing her country under its colors once again.
“I would be super proud to represent Belarus,” Sabalenka added. “It’s a small country, and to make it all the way to the top, it means a lot to me.”
The contrast between Sabalenka’s hope and Svitolina’s anguish is striking. Both women are at the same tournament, both ranked among the world’s best, yet they are living in completely different realities. One is celebrating a possible return to national identity. The other is watching missiles hit her country every single day.
That tension lives inside every locker room at every major tournament right now. A neutral flag or a post-match handshake policy cannot fix it.
What makes this even more complicated is that the IOC’s ruling is not automatic. Individual federations still set their own eligibility rules. The IOC may have sent a clear signal, but the actual decisions will be made sport by sport, federation by federation, in the months ahead. The ITF’s October vote will be one of the most watched governance moments in tennis this year.
The IOC’s decision to ease restrictions on Belarusian athletes does not stop the war. It does not erase what Belarus allowed on its soil in 2022, and it does not silence the air raid sirens still sounding across Ukraine. Elina Svitolina spoke from a place of real pain, not politics, and her voice represents thousands of Ukrainians who cannot speak from a global stage the way she can. As the LA 2028 qualification window opens and October’s ITF vote approaches, the world of sport faces a question it has always struggled to answer: how do you stay fair to athletes without going silent on injustice? That answer matters now more than ever.
What is your take on the IOC’s decision to lift restrictions on Belarusian athletes? Should other sports bodies follow or hold firm? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
