Elina Svitolina has called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from the Paris 2024 Olympics ©Getty Images

Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Elina Svitolina has called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The 28-year-old is an ambassador of UNITED 24, an organisation established by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to support donations for the Ukrainian war effort.

She has been vocal against the Russian invasion of Ukraine since the beginning and has questioned the stance of tennis governing bodies - Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) - stance on letting players from Russia and Belarus competing in international tournaments under a neutral banner, while the war goes on.

Her latest comments come following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to "explore a pathway" for athletes from the two nations to return to the Olympics as neutrals.

"The Olympics are the biggest dream and ultimate privilege for athletes," Svitolina wrote on Twitter.

"They are the largest platform for inclusion and diversity in sports, capturing the attention of the world.

"With this in mind we must stick to banning Russian and Belarusian athletes, sending a strong message worldwide, that we are united in the sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus and that there are consequences for the heinous acts of their governments; their lives cannot continue as normal and the world, nor the Russian or Belarusian people can be ignorant of the atrocities they are committing in Ukraine."

While IOC claim that majority of the Olympic Movement are backing their decision, some nations have threatened to boycott the Games in the French capital if the two nations are allowed to compete.

The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine has scheduled an Extraordinary General Assembly tomorrow to discuss Paris 2024 boycott.

Yesterday, the Latvian Olympic Committee President Georges Tikmers has claimed that they would boycott Paris 2024 if the two nations are allowed.

Svitolina has not played a competitive match since March, and said it was "impossible to perform" while her country was under attack.

The 2018 WTA Finals champion is married to fellow tennis player Gaël Monfils of France, with whom she has a child.