Watch: Russian Tennis Star Shows 'True Courage' in Blasting Ukraine Invasion

The horror of war inevitably presents opportunities for extraordinary people to demonstrate extraordinary acts of courage. As we reported on Friday, Vitaly Skakun, a Ukrainian Marine engineer, intentionally gave up his life as he blew up a bridge near Kyiv to slow an advancing Russian column.

Also on Friday, more than 2,000 miles from the Ukrainian capital, Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev wrote an incredibly courageous message on a TV camera moments after advancing to the final round at the Dubai Tennis Championships. As example after example has shown us, high-profile Russian and Chinese athletes tend to be “disappeared” following such acts of bravery. More on that in a minute.

As reported by the New York Post, Rublev, ranked seventh in the world, wrote, “No War Please” on a TV camera after beating Poland’s Hubert Hurcacz in a semifinal match.

Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev writes "No war please" on the camera following his advancement to the final in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/GQe8d01rTd

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) February 25, 2022

Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev had a simple, yet powerful message as his country and Ukraine collide on the world stage https://t.co/B5y9kLMhKK

— TMZ (@TMZ) February 26, 2022

Rublev was not asked about the message in his on-court interview following the match (of course, not) but he did share his thoughts on the invasion during an interview on Thursday, as transcribed by The Blaze.

In these moments you realize that my match is not important. It’s not about my match, how it affects me. What’s happening is much more terrible.

You realize how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing.

OutKick founder, radio talk show host, and Fox News contributor Clay Travis also took note of Rublev’s “true courage” in “speaking truth to power,” as well, writing on Twitter:

Given the threats a Russian athlete can face from its government, this is what speaking truth to power actually looks like. And this takes true courage.

As I suggested at the top, the same observation applies to Chinese athletes who step off the communist plantation; recently “retired” tennis star Peng Shuai was unavailable for comment on this story.

A second Russian tennis star, Daniil Medvedev, who took over the number-one ranking in men’s tennis on Friday, was also more concerned about his country’s invasion of Ukraine than his win at the Mexico Championship in Acapulco, as separately reported by The Post.

Watching the news from home, waking up here in Mexico, was not easy. By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world.

We play in so many different countries; I’ve been in so many countries as a junior and as a pro. It’s just not easy to hear all this news. … I’m all for peace.

In these moments, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important. … It was not easy to play and I’m happy that I managed to win the match, but it was bit of a roller-coaster day for me.

In contrast, America is blessed with the king of kings: noted law enforcement expert and renowned pundit on all things race-related, LA Lakers basketball player and freedom-fighter extraordinaire, LeBron “Shut up and Dribble” James.

Among the myriad of tweets praising Rublev’s courage, a U.S. Marine, whose page proudly declares of the Red, White, and Blue: These Colors Don’t Run,” took a clean shot at James — and drained it.

I wonder if @KingJames will tell China the same.

The observation was rhetorical, of course. James is too busy kissing China’s ass and kowtowing to equally-despicable Nike to even notice the horrors continuing to unfold in Ukraine — let alone the ongoing genocide committed by the ChiComs in the Muslim-minority Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.