Daniïl Medvédev (world number 2) i Arina Sabalenka (World Cup 4th) will not be at Wimbledon this year, after the English Grand Slam decided to ban Russian and Belarusian tennis players from playing in the tournament due to the invasion of Ukraine, according to sources from the All England Tennis Club. The New York Times and the Sportico website.
Wimbledon thus becomes the first major competition to ban the participation of individual athletes, after Russia was expelled from tournaments such as the Qatar World Cup, the European Basketball Championship and other competitions for teams such as the Davis Cup. and the Billie Jean King Cup, where Russia defended the 2021 titles.
In addition to Medvedev, Andrei Rublev (8th in the world), Karen Khathanov (26th) and Aslan Karatsev (30th) will lose the third Grand Slam of the season, and in the women’s tournament, they will be together with the Belarusian Sabalenka. compatriot Victoria Azarenka and the Russians Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15) and Daria Kasatkina (26).
Wimbledon’s willingness to make that decision had not been known for months if Russian and Belarusian tennis players had not publicly condemned Wimbledon’s actions. Vladimir Putin. Faced with their silence, as they have only come to demand peace, but without positioning themselves at any time in clear opposition to the invasion, the decision has been rushed in the face of this year’s edition of the 27th. from June to July 10. At the moment, Russian and Belarusian tennis players can play in the men’s and women’s circuit tournaments as long as they do not do so under the flag of their country or with symbols reminiscent of it.
This will be the first time that Wimbledon has prevented the participation of people from a particular country since World War II, when the Germans and the Japanese were unable to play in the London Grand Slam.
