TALLINN — Kaia Kanepi defeated her opponent in straight sets on Wednesday to advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinal. Finland issued a statement four minutes later.
The statement, released by Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, described Kanepi as “a tremendous example of Nordic sporting excellence” and expressed the Finnish people’s “deep pride in this remarkable athlete from our region.” It did not mention Estonia. It did not mention that Kanepi is Estonian. It noted that Finland and Estonia share “strong historical ties, a common sea, and an appreciation for the sauna.”
The statement had clearly been prepared in advance. Metadata on the released document showed a creation date of three weeks prior, suggesting Finland had written it before the match, before the tournament draw, and possibly before the calendar year.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry was informed of the Finnish statement at 16:43. They did not issue a counter-statement. They did not call a press conference. A spokesperson confirmed, when reached by phone, that Estonia was “aware of the situation.” She then ended the call.
This was widely interpreted as a comprehensive diplomatic response.
Kanepi, contacted through her management, did not comment. She is Estonian. She is from Kanepi, a town in southeastern Estonia that is named, coincidentally, after her family. Finland does not have a town called Kanepi. Estonia does. This has been noted.
Finland has previously issued similar statements following Estonian successes in cross-country skiing (2022), the Eurovision Song Contest (2001), and the launch of Skype, which Finland attempted to describe as “a joint Nordic initiative” despite it being founded by Estonians and a Swede.
Estonia won that one too.
Finland did not respond to requests for comment. Estonia did not make any requests. Final score: Estonia 1, Finland 0. As always.