Expulsion from the FIFA World Cup has not prevented unnecessary aggression by Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine. Even those Russians brave enough to speak out against Vladimir Putin’s unnecessary invasion have felt the consequences of the Russian army’s barbaric actions. like Fyodor Smolov. As another giant domino fell in the sporting world on Wednesday, when the All England Lawn Tennis Club banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in this year’s Wimbledon event, there is more sporting collateral damage involved.
Banned from participating in the grass court Grand Slam event are World No. 2 Men in the World Daniil Medvedev, No. 8 Andrey Rublev, and WTA No. 15 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Rublev is the Russian who wrote “No War Please” on a camera with a marker a week after the start of the war in Ukraine. And Pavlyuchenkova went to CNN to denounce the war. Among the Belarusian players who have been banned from the event – because the country is being used as a key stage for the Russian invasion – are Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s world No. 4 who advanced to the semi-finals of Wimbledon a year ago, and the former No. 1 of the world, Victoria Azarenka. currently No. 18 in the WTA.
Here is a statement from the All England Club:
“Given the profile of the Championships in the UK and around the world, it is our responsibility to do our part in the widespread effort by government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia’s global influence by the strongest means possible. In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to take any advantage of the participation of Russian or Belarusian players in the championships.”
This is the first Wimbledon ban by an entire country since the end of World War II, when Germany and Japan were banned from playing tennis’ signature event. The exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players is the first such step from a tennis tournament. Organizations such as the International Tennis Federation ruled in March that players from these countries would be allowed to compete in professional tournaments, but not under the Russian or Belarusian flag. Official teams from Belarus and Russia were banned from the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup.
Competitors from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete as neutral athletes in the next Grand Slam tournament, the French Open, which begins on May 22. The Paris clay court event is the first major tournament since Russia’s war against Ukraine began. The first Grand Slam of 2022, the Australian Open, ended on January 30, three weeks before the invasion began. The US tennis federation, which oversees the US Open, the last major tournament of the year, which begins in late August, has yet to decide whether it, too, intends to ban players from Russia and Belarus.
“If circumstances change materially between now and June we will review this and respond accordingly,” the All England Club added in its statement.
Two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Elina Svitolina, currently ranked 25th in the WTA, is the highest-ranked Ukrainian tennis player, male or female. Three more Ukrainian women are within reach of qualifying for the event in No. 36 Anhelina Kalinina, No. 52 Marta Kostyuk and No. 92 Dayana Yastremska. Three other Ukrainian women are in the running, ranking 135-146. The highest-ranking Ukrainian man is ATP No. 245 Vitaliy Sachko. Svitolina and retired Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky, who returned to Ukraine to fight against the Russiansreleased statements on social media urging tennis governing bodies to publicly state their stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The ban hits hard those who make a living from playing tennis. Medvedev and Azarenka’s final results would make a big difference with a deep run at Wimbledon. The organizers of the event needed to know that a tough stance on Russian and Belarusian players would not stop or end the war Needle mover for Vladimir Putin. Her exile reveals that tennis is not uniform, which could spread by the end of the invasion. Don’t expect the All England Club to reverse course due to public outrage, either.
Anyone who supports the war is obviously a juggernaut of idiocy. Being against the invasion but giving harmless tennis players a chance to compete should be it they publicly condemn the war should be a way for these players. The ATP’s top two players are unlikely to compete at Wimbledon as Novak Djokovic is unvaccinated. Tennis doesn’t need the spectacle and star power for its signature event, set to pit Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek against each other. Wimbledon should take a more diplomatic approach and let those from Russia and Belarus speak out against their country’s aggression against Ukraine and let them play. The refusal to condemn the war should keep an individual prohibition intact.
