By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Wimbledon bans Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 Championships in condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Photo credit: Getty
Wimbledon has closed the door on Russian and Belarusian players.
Wimbledon has banned Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 Championships in condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced today.
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The Championships announced given "Russia's illegal actions" it "would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships."
"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," Wimbledon said in a statement posted on its website. "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.
"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."
The grass-court Grand Slam is set for June 27th-July 10th.
The ban knocks several stars—including second-ranked Russian Daniil Medvedev, No. 8 Andrey Rublev, No. 26 Karen Khachanov and 30th-ranked Aslan Karatsev—out of Wimbledon.
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 4 who reached her maiden major semifinal at the 2021 Wimbledon, 2021 Roland Garrus runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka are among the notable names on the women's side banned from SW19.
Russian and Belarusian players will be permitted to play Roland Garros next month.
Asked his reaction to the prospect of Wimbledon saying no to Russians, Medvedev said he doesn't set rules he can only follow them.
"I want to say every country, that's how life is, every country can set their own rules," Medvedev told the media in Miami last month. "Maybe tomorrow somebody's gonna announce, I don't know, We don't want any more tennis tournaments. Some big country will say one country has a Grand Slam, and maybe some other Masters events gonna say, We don't want any more tennis in our country. The president gonna say it. He has the right to do it. That's how life is.
"It's very tough in life to talk what is fair and not fair. So I of course do have my own opinions on different topics, but I prefer, yeah, to speak about them with my family, with my wife, where we can sometimes disagree, but we can discuss."
Wimbledon's ban is drawing mixed reaction.
Some say sports and politics should be separate and players, regardless of their nationality, should not be accountable for actions of their leaders. Pointing to the fact Rublev and Pavyluchenkova have publicly spoken out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in pleas for peace, critics say Russian and Belarusian tennis players, who are in effect citizens of the world during the tennis season, should not be punished for the aggressive actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Others, including some Ukrainian players, point to the horrific murder and violence unleashed on innocent Ukrainians and say the invasion demands the world respond with stricter sanctions against all Russians. Supporters of the ban say tennis can't sit back and host a Grand Slam and pretend all is well in the world while Russian troops are killing innocent Ukrainians, destroying cities and committing atrocities.
Last month, British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston called for Medvedev and other Russian to provide assurances they don’t support Russian President Putin in order to play Wimbledon.
If US Open champion Medvedev and other Russian and Belarusian players don’t denounce Putin, then they should not be permitted to Wimbledon the British Sports Minister told a select committee in Parliament.
“Many countries have agreed that they will not allow representatives from Russia to compete. There are also visa issues as well. When it comes to individuals, that is more complex," Huddleston said in comments published by Reuters.
“Absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled. We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines.”
Supporters of Russian and Belarusian players say it's a step too far and one that carries real risk for Russians. They say Russian players speaking out against President Putin, who has cracked down on dissent and protests against the war in Russia, could put their families or even themselves in danger.
There’s deep concern and fear about Peng Shuai and her family’s well-being after she publicly accused a high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault. Some say Russian players would face similiar repurcussions if they publicly oppose Putin.
WTA CEO Steve Simon says he feels “very, very strongly” that Russian and Belarusian players should be permitted to continue playing on the pro circuit.
In an interview with BBC Sport last month, Simon said players should not be penalized for positions their leaders take.
"I can tell you that we have never banned athletes from participating on our tour as the result of political positions their leadership may take,” Simon said. "So it would take something very, very significant for that to change, but again we don't know where this is going."
However, the WTA Chief conceded if national governments banned Russian and Belarusians from entering their nations, then the Tours would abide by those laws.
Ukrainian former ATP standout Alexandr Dolgopolov, who has returned home to fight and defend his country against Russian invaders, disagrees with Simon.
"I already said this to them that I think tennis is being too passive," Alexander told BBC.
Dolgopolov said these are desperate, deadly times and stronger sanctions must be taken against Russia to stop the killing.
"I know all those guys personally. I even played Daniil when I was playing," Dolgopolov said. "They are nice guys but no offense to them - I believe Russia should be blocked from any participant in any sport, in any culture."
The ITF has already banned Russia and Belarus from Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competition and the Russian flag and symbols are scrubbed from the pro circuit. Dolgopolov says that's a symbolic gesture that doesn't address the death and destruction his country is enduring.
"I think every Russian is responsible for their government and their president," Dolgopolov said. "Just being neutral, taking away their flag, we know that is not changing anything.”