April 26, (THEWILL) – The All England Club (AELTC) chairman Ian Hewitt has insisted that they made the “most responsible decision possible” by excluding Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s championship.
As a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the AELTC and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) announced that Russian and Belarusian players will not be able to compete in the UK this summer, as THEWILL reported.
The ATP Tour and the WTA Tour, which have so far allowed men and women from both countries to still participate but under neutral flags, were not pleased with the move.
Currently, four Russian men are ranked in the top 30 of the ATP rankings, including world number two Daniil Medvedev and the 8th-ranked Andrey Rublev, while six Russian and Belarusian women are ranked in the top 32 of the WTA rankings, including world number four Aryna Sabalenka.
“At the outset, we believe this is an extreme and exceptional situation that takes us far beyond the interests of tennis alone”, Hewitt said at Wimbledon’s spring media briefing.
“Russia’s ongoing invasion, leading to catastrophic harm for millions of lives in Ukraine, has been condemned worldwide by over 140 nations, government, industry, sport and creative institutions are all playing their part in efforts to limit Russia’s global influence, including any benefit from trade, cultural or sporting shows of strength.
“As part of that response, the UK government has set up directive guidance for sporting bodies and events in the UK with the specific aim of limiting Russia’s influence. We have taken that directive guidance into account as we must as a high-profile event and leading British institution.
“For clarity, the guidance does not allow for automatic entry to Wimbledon based on rankings alone. We have considered at length the options available within the scope of this clear government position. There are in effect two options: declining entries or allowing entries but only with specific written declarations from individual players.
“We considered a wide variety of factors, including player safety, humanitarian efforts to support in the conflict, and the response of other sports in seeking to limit Russia’s influence.
“After lengthy and careful consideration we came to two firm conclusions that have formed the basis for our decision; first, even if we were to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players with written declarations, we would risk their success of participation at Wimbledon being used to benefit the propaganda machine of the Russian regime, which we could not accept.
“Second, we have a duty to ensure that no actions we take should put the safeties of players or their families at risk.
“We understand and deeply regret the impact this decision will have on every individual affected and so many innocent people are suffering as a result of this terrible war. But bound to act, we believe we have made the most responsible decision possible in the circumstances and within the framework of the government’s position there is no viable alternative to the decision we have taken in this truly exceptional and tragic situation.”
Players will not need to be vaccinated to participate at Wimbledon, according to Hewitt, which means world No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be able to defend his crown as Wimbledon champion.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
