Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev made his feelings very clear amid his country's escalating war with Ukraine.
The world No 7 came from behind to defeat Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier today.
He will now have a chance to compete for his tenth ATP title when he battles either Jiri Vesely, who conquered Novak Djokovic in the last eight, or Canada’s Denis Shapovalov tomorrow.
At most tournaments, the winning player signs the camera straight after the match and the 24-year-old used his opportunity to send a powerful message.
Russia President Vladimir Putin launched a "full-scale invasion" in Ukraine during the early hours of yesterday morning, leaving thousands of people fearing for their lives.
Explosions have been heard across the country, in cities such as Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa and the capital city of Kyiv.
137 Ukrainians were killed on the first day of invasion and hundreds more injured with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky calling up reservists.
Fighting has continued today with Kremlin forces moving in on Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, which has led to thousands of civilians desperately fleeing - some to the city of Lviv in eastern Ukraine, others have taken off to to the borders of neighbouring Poland.
And amid the escalating tensions, Rublev wrote on the TV camera lens following his victory over Hurkacz: "No war please".
After his quarter-final win, Rublev commented on the shocking events and acknowledged some things are more significant than tennis.
"In these moments, you realise that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me," Rublev said Thursday. "What's happening is much more terrible.
"You realise how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that.
"We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."
His compatriot Daniil Medvedev, 26, also shared his thoughts on Russia's invasion following his quarter-final victory over Yoshihito Nishioka at the Mexican Open in Acapulco.
"By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world," he said after reaching the last four.
"We play in so many different countries. I've been in so many different countries as a junior and as a pro.
"It's just not easy to hear all this news. I'm all for peace."
The soon-to-be world No 1 added: "In this moment, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important.
"It was definitely not easy to play and I am happy that I managed to win the match. That was a little bit of a rollercoaster today."
