Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be banned from competing at this Summer’s Wimbledon Championships. Officials are expected to make the announcement later today.
According to The Times:
The likes of the world No 2 Daniil Medvedev and the former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka will not be permitted to appear at the All England Club this summer because of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by military forces from the two aforementioned countries.
A ban will see Wimbledon become the first tennis tournament to suspend Russians and Belarusians.
As it stands, they are permitted to play on the ATP and WTA tours as neutral athletes, and have been allowed to put their names on the entry list for next month’s French Open.
Sources have told The Times that a decision has finally been reached after close to two months of discussions between the All England Club and the UK government.
Officials from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) had suggested that players could offer a written private declaration that they would not make comments in support of the Russian president Vladimir Putin, but Wimbledon organisers decided that a ban was more feasible because of the risks an effective denunciation could potentially bring to the players’ family members.
In March, Medvedev was asked about a possible Wimbledon ban. He told reporters:
“It’s always tough to talk on this subject for me because I want to play tennis and play in different countries.
I want to promote my sport. I want to promote what I’m doing in my country for sure, and right now that is the only way I can play [as a neutral], so that’s what I’m going to do.
I’m going to try to fight on the court, try to win the tournaments and try to beat the other guys.
My message is always the same. I want peace in all of the world and all of the countries. I think every tennis player is going to say the same.”
