ACCORDING TO A report from the Telegraph Wimbledon are preparing to ban all Russian and Belrussian players from the tennis event this summer.
The potential Wimbledon ban isn't an alien concept. In recent months Formula 1, football, and other sports have distanced themselves from Russian players and sponsors after the Ukraine invasion.
The All England Club’s main committee appear to have opted for a prompt decision as the war enters a new phase, with hopes of peace talks receding.
This means that the southwest London event won't have US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, the world No 8 on its courts.
The women’s format will also be affected by the ban, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova, who are among the world’s top 30 will miss out.
Expect an announcement later this morning: Wimbledon to become the first tennis tournament to impose a full ban on players from Russia and Belarus.
A stark contrast to the French Open, for which the likes of Medvedev and Azarenka remain on the entry list. https://t.co/4Vo8VpNgp0— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) April 20, 2022
Belarus are also in firing line from Wimbledon chiefs meaning that Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 4, and Victoria Azarenka, who was a gold medallist at London 2012 in the mixed doubles, could also miss Wimbledon this year.
In tennis, the ATP, WTA and ITF have so far allowed Russian and Belarusian players to continue competing under a neutral flag and without a national anthem.
LTA chief Steve Lloyd said earlier this month: "We are in very close dialogue with the All England Club, the government, with the tours.
"We are very conscious of public sentiment in this area. We are trying to navigate what that needs to look like in the summer events in Britain this year."
According to the New York Times Wimbledon has not barred individual athletes from specific countries since the aftermath of World War II when players from Germany, Japan and other nations were not permitted to play in the tournament.
Wimbledon is scheduled to begin on June 27.
