Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Monte Carlo Masters – Monte-Carlo Country Club, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France – April 12, 2022 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic before his second round match against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
April 21 – World number one Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine was “crazy”.
Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it had banned all Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s championships due to the invasion, which Russia describes as a “special operation”. Continue reading
The grass grand slam is the first tennis tournament to exclude individual competitors from the two countries, meaning that men’s number two from Russia, Daniil Medvedev, and fourth-placed women, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, will be withdrawn from the tournament from June 27 to 20. June to July 10th are excluded.
Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, said the athletes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.
“I will always condemn war, I will never support war as I am a child of war myself,” Djokovic told reporters at the Serbia Open, an ATP 250 event in Belgrade.
“I know how much emotional trauma it leaves behind. In Serbia we all know what happened in 1999. In recent history we have had many wars in the Balkans.
“However, I cannot support the Wimbledon decision, I think it’s crazy.
“When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) decision drew criticism from the ATP and WTA tours.
The move marks the first time players have been banned on nationality grounds since the era immediately after World War II, when German and Japanese players were excluded.
The AELTC said it would “reconsider and respond accordingly” if circumstances change by June.
Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford