Following the invasion of Ukraine, the All England club has banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing.
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Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players for this year’s tournament has been dubbed “complete discrimination” by Andrey Rublev. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the All England club has banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing. Rublev, who is ranked No. 8 in the world, and his compatriot Daniil Medvedev, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, are both set to miss the Grand Slam this summer.
“What is happening now is complete discrimination against us. The reasons they gave us had no sense, they were not logical,” Rublev said as per news agency AFP. “Banning Russian or Belarusian players… will not change anything.”
Rublev also suggested that the Wimbledon prize money should be donated towards relief efforts for those who have suffered due to the conflict in Ukraine. “To give all the prize money would have a more positive effect to humanitarian help, to the families who are suffering, to the kids who are suffering.”
“I think that would do something. Tennis will, in that case, be the first and only sport who donates that amount of money and it will be Wimbledon so they will take all the glory,” the 24-year-old added.
Wimbledon released a statement on Thursday stating that all Russian and Belarusian athletes will be declined entries to the 2022 edition of the competition. The statement was released on the official website of the Grand Slam tennis tournament. The statement said that organizers of Wimbledon extended their support to those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and condemned the ongoing Russian activity in the eastern European country. This means that the likes of Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev will not be part of the 2022 edition of the tournament. While most people have supported the decision, there also have been many who are against it, including Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic.
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“We share in the universal condemnation of Russia’s illegal actions and have carefully considered the situation in the context of our duties to the players, to our community and to the broader UK public as a British sporting institution. We have also taken into account guidance set out by the UK Government specifically in relation to sporting bodies and events. Given the profile of The Championships in the United Kingdom and around the world, it is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts of Government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible,” the statement read.
“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. It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships 2022,” it added.
