Global outrage greet decision to ban Russians from Wimbledon
The All England Club's decision to ban the likes of the world No 2 Daniil Medvedev and two-times grand-slam champion Victoria Azarenka has prompted an angry response from leading figures within the sport, including the world No 1 Novak Djokovic and the former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova as well as the tennis authorities.
Speaking after winning his first-round match at the Serbian Open in Belgrade, Djokovic said: “I will always condemn war. I will never support war being myself a child of war. I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia, we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans, we have had many wars in recent history. However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy.
“The players, the tennis players, the athletes have nothing to do with it [war]. When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”
The ATP, which runs the men’s tour, said: “This unilateral decision is unfair and has the potential to set a damaging precedent for the game.” It hinted that it may seek to fight Wimbledon’s decision, which will also apply to the various Wimbledon warm-ups, such as the Queen’s Club Championships and Eastbourne International.
The ATP said that “any course of action in response to this decision will now be assessed”. The WTA, which runs the women’s tour, also issued a statement opposing the decision.
Navratilova, who won the women’s singles nine times between 1978 and 1990, said: “This decision was made in a vacuum by the All England Club and I understand their predicament but I just don’t think they are seeing the big picture in a more global way. I am devastated by their decision, quite frankly.”
Wimbledon expressed sympathy for players affected but insisted the war in Ukraine left them no choice. “In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with the championships,” an All England Club statement read.
After Wimbledon’s announcement, several Ukrainian players, including Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, shared a joint statement on social media calling for the ATP and WTA tours to ban any Russian or Belarusian who fails to denounce the invasion.
The All England Club is also in the process of withdrawing television rights from broadcasters in Russia and Belarus, and will refuse accreditation requests from journalists working for outlets associated with the countries.
Wimbledon, which starts on June 27, is the first major 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 submit entries for next month’s French Open.
The Kremlin responded to the news by branding the ban as “unacceptable”.
