Iranian tennis player quits World Tour final to avoid Israeli opponent

Iranian junior tennis player Hana Shabanpour withdrew from the J60 Turkey World Tour final on Sunday, refusing to face an opponent representing the Israeli regime in protest of Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.

Shabanpour, an Iranian national team representative, pulled out of the doubles final after it was confirmed that the opposing team included players from Russia and the Israeli regime.

She had advanced to the final decisively alongside her Turkish partner.

The Iranian tennis player also reached the singles quarterfinals, where she lost a close and hard-fought match against the tournament’s top seed.

In a statement explaining her decision, Shabanpour cited the recent killings of Palestinian children and women by Israeli forces.

Her withdrawal is the latest in a series of similar protests by athletes from Muslim-majority nations who refuse to compete against Israeli opponents in international competitions.

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