Clay Travis: Russian Athlete Displayed 'True Courage' When Speaking Against War

Andrey Rublev, a Russian tennis player currently ranked 7th in the world, is speaking out against his country's decision to enter war with Ukraine. The 24-year old used the immediate moments following his semi-final tournament win to pen "No War Please" in English onto the lens of a television camera.

As history has shown us, the Russian government does not take kindly to dissent in their own ranks. This makes Rublev's written remark as brave as it is controversial.

OutKick founder Clay Travis calls it a demonstration of "true courage."

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

Rublev didn't just pen "No War Please" at a ho-hum tournament in the doldrums of summer. He spread his message after advancing the finals in the Dubai Championships.

On Thursday, Rublev told the media his athletic achievements mean little in the grand scheme of things.

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

He added, "You realize how important is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that we should be take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."

Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF