Weintraub withdraws from

Israel’s Amir Weintraub pulled out of his match against Jeremy Chardy of France in the second round of the Challenger tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Wednesday as it was scheduled to be held during Yom Kippur.

It is a dilemma Israeli athletes face every year, with the vast majority choosing to honor the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

There are, however, others who decide to play, like Deniz Khazaniuk, who beat France’s Estelle Cascino 6-4, 6-0 in the second round of the ITF tournament in Lagos, Nigeria.

Weintraub, ranked No. 232 in the world, had asked the organizers to schedule his match for the following day or for later Wednesday evening, but was told that neither option is possible.

Following the end of Yom Kippur, he attacked the ATP and ITF on Facebook, claiming that they aren’t doing enough to help players ranked outside the top 100 to earn a decent living.

“I know that the ATP and ITF are not going to like what I’m about to write, but this isn’t personal but rather a cry to help the sport I love so much,” wrote Weintraub. “All the players are talking all the time that they feel nothing is being done and that we are being exploited.”

Weintraub said that a player ranked around No. 130 in the world is delighted if he manages to break even at the end of the year.

“Everyone talks about how much the star players make and think it is all so glamorous,” he said. “The bottom line is that players ranked outside the top 100 are being sacrificed for those ranked at the top.”

Weintraub went on to compare tennis to other sports, explaining that tennis players have many more expenses, mainly due to their constant