A Russian tennis star protested the war in Ukraine in a twist of a traditional celebration in the sport

• Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev booked his spot in the Dubai Tennis Championships title match.
• After winning his match Friday, the top-10 player wrote "No war please" on the TV camera lens.

Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev has a message for the world — and maybe one directed at his own country.

"No war please."

On Friday, the 24-year-old Moscow native called for peace on Friday after besting Poland's Hubert Hurkacz for a spot in the Dubai Tennis Championships title match. As is a popular tennis tradition, Rublev wrote a note on the TV camera lens following his victory.

Instead of signing his name or sketching a cheeky doodle — as is the norm in the sport — the world No. 7 penned a serious message for all to see: "No war please."

Rublev's appeal against violence came as his home nation ramped up its invasion into neighboring country Ukraine late in the week. And as the young star was playing his match Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces attacked Ukraine's capital of Kyiv in what is considered Europe's most serious ground war since World War II.

Ukraine is now in serious jeopardy of falling into Russian control.

Rublev's message was not the first to come out of the sports world this week. Ukrainian athletes have been vocal in their opposition to Putin's antics, with one soccer player going so far as to unveil a "No War in Ukraine" undershirt after scoring a goal in a Europa League game.

And the efforts don't stop at individual athletes; sports' largest institutions have taken measures to distance themselves from Putin and Russia, who are widely seen as the aggressors in the Ukrainian conflict and have become global pariahs as a result. In the days immediately following Russia's onslaught, Formula One cancelled the 2022 Russian Grand Prix, UEFA moved the Champions League Final from St. Petersburg to Paris, the ATP Tour dropped a competition in Moscow, and franchises have rapidly abandoned Russian sponsors.

The reaction across the sports world has been swift, but the political world's response does not appear to have deterred Putin from the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. The result will likely have dire consequences across the globe.

Insider's live blog of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is covering developments as they happen.