Several of tennis' top stars appear in video message calling for peace in Ukraine organized by top-ranked Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. Uzbekistan native and American citizen Varvara Lepchenko also weighed in on the matter.
Ukraine has been in crisis since its now deposed president, Viktor Yanukovych, dumped a deal for closer ties to the European Union and turned toward Moscow for support.
There have been months of protests and clashes that resulted in the deaths of some protesters. Yanukovych eventually fled to Russia, which has invaded the Crimea Peninsula. Ukraine's population is said to be divided in loyalties between Russia and Europe. Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov is objecting to Russia’s moves.
Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov join Dolgopolov in the video.
Lepchenko weighed in to a TENNIS.com query on Twitter, saying she wishes Ukrainians “luck and peace with all my heart. Cause half of my descendants came from Ukraine. And I'm praying for peace! It's too crazy. People tend to use power to get things their way:(. Instead more civil ways.”
Lepchenko's father and coach, Peter, is Ukrainian and her mother, Larisa, is Russian and still has family in Ukraine.