In a controversial determination, Wimbledon would have decided that it will not allow Russian and Belarusian tennis players to be part of the 2022 tournament.
The information was initially released by the British newspaper The Times.
The New York Timesmeanwhile, added that the ban has been confirmed by an ATP official senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It is in punishment for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is supported by Belarus.
On the list of the most affected is Daniil Medvedev, number two in the ranking of the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP).
If confirmed, the threat of the United Kingdom government is fulfilled, which, through its Sports Minister, Nigel Huddleston, demanded that event organizations require Russian athletes to declare their rejection of Vladimir Putin in writing to prevent these perform some kind of gesture in favor of Russia in the competitions.
Wimbledon thus becomes the first major competition to cancel the participation of individual athletes.
Until now, the measures had affected Russian representatives in team competitions: Russia was displaced from events such as the FIFA Cup Qatar 2022 and other team competitions in tennis, such as the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, where the Russians defend last year’s gains.
[TENIS] Wimbledon will exclude Russian and Belarusian players because of the war with Ukraine, according to The Times newspaper. pic.twitter.com/v2tWhIM2Gi
– ElCanciller.com (@elcancillercom) April 20, 2022
Does Wimbledon lose Medvedev?
Wimbledon will thus lose the participation of Medvedev, number two in the ranking.
Neither will Andrey Rublev, number eight on the list of the best in the world, nor Karen Khachanov (26) and Aslan Karatsev (30).
Medvedev, strictly speaking, had questioned being part of Wimbledon due to a hernia that prevented him from playing in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.
In the women’s draw, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15 in the world) and Daria Kasatkina (26 in the ranking) will not be able to go to the United Kingdom to play Wimbledon.
For Belarus, Aryna Sabalenka stands out, the four in the world and semifinalist in 2021, and Victoria Azarenka (18 in the ATP ranking).
Wimbledon, the grand slam that Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty won in 2021, will be played from June 27 to July 10.
The only antecedent dates back to the years after the Second World War, when Wimbledon prevented German and Japanese tennis players from playing.
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