They want to deprive a Ukrainian tennis player of citizenship for playing with a Russian woman. Here is the history of shame!

In tennis, there are no such harsh sanctions against Russia as in other sports. Our athletes are not only allowed to compete in the ATP and WTA tournaments, but they are not separated from Ukrainian rivals in the grid.

Moreover, Russian-Ukrainian duets can still be found in doubles competitions. And if in Russia they are neutral about this – sport is out of politics, then in Ukraine each such case causes an attack of hatred.

So Valeria Strakhova is being cynically hounded for playing with a tennis player from Russia.

Considered a traitor

Another wave of discontent came after the Ukrainian Valeria Strakhova decided to play in a duet with the Russian Irina Khromacheva. The couple showed up for the WTA 250 tournament in Rabat (Morocco) and has already passed one round – in the first match, the girls beat the Georgian Natela Dzalamidze and Mayar Sherif Ahmed Abdelaziz from Egypt – 7:5, 5:7, [10:5].

But Ukrainian tennis fans were not inspired by Valeria’s success. Local publications call her act nothing less than a betrayal that “doesn’t fit in the head,” and in one note there is such a subtitle: “The story of the shame of Strakhova.”

Valeria Strakhova and Irina Khromacheva / Photo: © IMAGO / Mathias Schulz / imago-images.de / Global Look Press

Four titles with our

Insurance also recalls other performances with Russian partners. Only this season, Valeria played several times in conjunction with our girls.

In January, the Ukrainian won two ITF tournaments in Buenos Aires with Amina Anshba. At the first, they defeated Colombian Juliana Lizarazo and Maria Paulina Perez-Garcia in the final, and a week later they defeated Romina Cuno from Peru and Colombian Maria Fernanda Erazo Gonzalez in the fight for the title.

In March, Valeria repeated her success twice – this time with Irina Khromacheva in Colombia. In the final of the tournament in Anapoima, the Russian-Ukrainian duo defeated Eva Vedder (Netherlands) and Andrea Gamiz (Venezuela), and a week later they celebrated the victory in Mosquera.

Strakhova also has the title of a doubles tournament in the Argentinean Tucuman, where she won in early March with Latvian Daniela Wisman. She has no luck with the rest of her partners – seven attempts were unsuccessful.

But they prefer not to remember the matches with Wisman and tennis players from other countries in Ukraine. All the aggression is about the games with Khromacheva and Anshba.

Found no reason

Valeria Strakhova is ranked 303rd in WTA singles and 135th in doubles. Her best individual performance this season is three semi-finals of ITF tournaments.

Valeria Strakhova / Photo: © IMAGO / Mathias Schulz / imago-images.de / Global Look Press

The girl was born in the Crimea, and now Donetsk is indicated as her place of residence. At the same time, he represents Ukraine at international competitions. This is another reason for her persecution. Strakhova is called “an absolutely pro-Russian person” and they even wanted to deprive her of citizenship, but found no reason.

“We studied the issue of deprivation of citizenship and did not find any way. The ministry decides such issues,” said Yevhen Zukin, Vice President of the Tennis Federation of Ukraine.

There are many calls to deprive Strakhova of her citizenship, to close her entry into the country, and even to organize criminal prosecution in Ukrainian social networks. However, Valeria continues to do her job. She just goes on the court and wins. And with the Russians, by the way, it works best!