Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be banned from competing at Wimbledon this year because of their countries’ involvement in the war on Ukraine, All-England Club officials announced on Wednesday.
“Given the profile of The Championships in the United Kingdom and around the world, it is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts of Government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible,” a statement read. “In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships.
“It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships 2022.”
The Lawn Tennis Association as a whole issued a similar statement, banning Russians and Belarusians from all of its sanctioned tournaments. That means players from those two nationals will also be unable to participate in Eastbourne (ATP and WTA), Birmingham (WTA), Nottingham (WTA), and at Queen’s Club (ATP) during this summer’s grass-court swing.
The most notable players who will be impacted by these decisions are Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Aslan Karatsev, Aryna Sabalenka, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Viktoria Azarenka, Daria Kasatkina, and Veronika Kudermetova.
“I think this decision is wrong, but there is nothing we can change,” said Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev. “The [RTF] has already done everything it could.
“I don’t want to talk about this, but I will say that this decision goes against the athletes. We are working on the situation. That’s all I can say.”
discuss
how is it their fault they are from Russia??
It’s a ridiculous decision, punishing the players for Russia’s wrongdoing. What will be gained by it? Nothing at all.
I’m hoping there’s a huge backlash against it from players, coaches, commentators etc.
Really sad to see the Russian players taking the punishment for a situation that is totally beyond their control. Sad.
Ilya Marchenko talks about Player Bans, Russia, Ukraine, and propaganda.
Remember him?
https://youtu.be/Kcx8L-fIZ_k
He is on Youtube.
i don’t agree with this. The players are no more responsible for Putin than people were for Trump, or me forJohnson! And ban includes Rublev who wrote, “No war please” on the camera after a match. A risky and brave thing to do. ATP and LTA are against it so don’t suppose it’s the end of things.
Precisely right, Margot. All I need is to read Kostyak’s Twitter or Elina Monfils, and my heart is with Ukraine. I am very proud and inspired by the courage of Zellenskyy, and this war is the first time I have been FOR a war. I love Russia and Russians, but Putin, like Stalin, Hitler, and Trump, needs to be squashed. Trump is a useful idiot to Putin. Putin wants the old Soviet Russia back, and he is as much of a butcher as Stalin and Hitler were. Evil men-all of them.
It’s all about manipulating public sentiment and got nothing to do about what’s right and wrong from a naive public standpoint. The British and US government are just as much complicit in this war as Russia.
Don’t make this about the British or US governments. This of just nonsense.
Putin started this war against a country that did nothing wrong. He is the bad guy. And don’t
You even dare to compare Russia to the US and Britain. We are not the ones who are killing innocent civilians and perpetrating war crimes.
I do not think the Russian athletes should be banned because of what their government is going.
It’s all about manipulating public sentiment and got nothing to do about what’s right and wrong from a naive public standpoint. The British and US government are just as much complicit in this war as Russia.
Bullshit!
No. They are not complicit in this War which is Putin’s war. Once upon a time, I remember watching RT and thinking maybe Putin would be good for Russia. Then Putin grabbed Crimea and it made sense what his plan was and still is. Now I see he falls into the bloody dictator bin with Stalin and Hitler. I have a higher opinion of Genghis Khan. There is no time for a war in the 21st Century! No time for Barbarians like Putin.
Putin’s the bad guy and you’re the good guys.
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/2d4d284f4f577421a1a4f9728e203d8297a9c68f/0_131_3498_2099/master/3498.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5dffbab4974b72706cad9ff523df2d06
Johnny Deppshit v Amber Follow The Heard
“got nothing to do with”
To ask the question “do you agree/disagree with Wimbledon’s decision?” is missing the point entirely.
You’re assuming that they make credible, transparent and reliable decisions in the best interests of the public without an ulterior motive.
Put simply, you’re assuming that the UK government and Wimbledon are acting in good faith by asking that question.
The sad thing is it’s the players who r really being punished and not Putin or Russia!!
However, of those players who r of Russian parentage, if any of them happen to win the cup, Vladimir will still have bragging rights!! I would laugh if Zverev, Tsistipas or Shapovolov were to win the cup!!😂🤣🤣🤣
None of them were that good on grass anyway
Well a couple decent women got to the final
But theres so many Russian/Belarussians that without them it will seriously weaken the field
It’s war. We all have to make sacrifices. :p
If I were a Russian or Belarussian tennis player I like to think I’d band together with my countrymen and go home and PROTEST this stupid, horrible war that Putin has led Russia into, not play tennis while he tortures innocent civilians!
That Putin has led Russia into or was forced into because the US is interfering in a part of the world it has no business in? Alienating Russia and trying to block them from dealing with Europe was always going to lead to conflict.
You know what’s really disgusting with all of this, is the US using Ukraine as a proxy to protect its global dominance. They are sacrificing their lives for you but are in no way a beneficiary from any of this.
And you have no shame and you continue to lie to the public.
This has to be the stupidest thing I have ever read about the war in Ukraine.
Deal in facts instead of making up garbage! Putin said he needed de-Nazify Ukraine. That was his lie about invading a peaceful sovereign country. Don’t dare to try and get around it!
The U.S had nothing to do with Putin’s evil plan. Putin wanted to invade Ukraine. He has done it before so quit lying about it!
The ignorance of some people is just beyond belief!
Putin says the “special military operation” in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people.
He casts the conflict as an inevitable confrontation with the United States, which he accuses of threatening Russia by meddling in its backyard and enlarging the NATO military alliance.
I agree with Honesty and the first amy’s comments.
What the hell is the US doing in that part of the world so far from home? Stick to your own region and territory and let Europe sort out their issues.
Well, that does not sound like the amy I used to know.
Replying to the false amy:
You are repeating the narrative Putin wants the world to believe. And it is a lie to capture those Putin lovers in America. And there is a scary amount of Putin worship on this side of the Atlantic.
Most Putin believers here don’t know squat about Putin or Ukraine. They know what Trump says is Gospel and would prefer Putin to be POTUS. And besides, they would argue, who cares about Ukraine?
Hi Elizabeth! Good to see you here!
Assuming this is the Elizabeth I think it is and not Bog Boy trying to fool me?! He, or someone closely resembling him, has been posting as me and also as others on this site!
Tres bizarre!
Ricky was on site chatting a lot in early January so when I raised the issue he told me it was someone initially posting as Crocop who I am pretty sure was Bog Boy.
After being outed by Ricky he went on posting as Anon.
There seem to be numerous Anons using different monikers…
I edited the most recent comment to “Guest.” Were there others?
Hello Amy. Hello to everyone. Was someone posing as me?
I am pretty sure of where Wog Boy would stand on Putin’s War. But his perspective is not one I understand. Maybe my memory is off but WB hates NATO and America.
Thanks Ricky!
I saw Big Al said that someone leaving a comment as him was not him!
The comment itself was innocuous but the point stands that someone is going around leaving posts under others ‘ names.
I have been trying to get a lot of work done so haven’t been posting for a while so of course there could be more.
Elizabeth, I already though that the person posting as Guest was Bog Boy.
There is obviously someone going around using multiple names.
Bog Boy is just a classic alt right/ Trumper/ Big Lie misogynist conspiracy theorist.
He seems to be obsessed with this site.
I am sure it was him back in January but there is also someone posting as Anon who has very similar toxic views. They seem to both use different names at various times and it’s hard to tell them apart.
Bog Boy also has posted as Anon…
Yet again someone is posting as me!
This happened back in January and Ricky said that the person pretending to be me was Crocop who I strongly suspect as being Bog Boy from TDTB.
I haven’t been posting here for a long while as I need to work.
Any posts sounding right wing, if not downright fascist like this one, are not from me. I loathe and abhor these fascist sentiments.
It’s not on that someone is posting pretending to be me. They may be posting under other people’s user names as well.
Everyone on this site who knows me knows that I absolutely hate that fascist psycopath Putin and stand with Ukraine.
I refer to the post at 9.32am.
Someone posted as me too. So childish and annoying.
This!
Hi Ramara!
Big Al has a point about most of them not being great on grass. I love Pavlyuchenkova and Rublev in particular but I think it was Samsonova or Alexandrova that had success on grass.
Hello everybody! I guess I am back. Deal with it.
Hi Elizabeth and welcome back! I’ve missed so many of our ‘old regulars’! I especially fear for dear Mira Andi. I know she’s not young…and she didn’t surface during AO this year!
I have good news Ramara,
Mira Andi is still a regular in the weekly Tennis Draw Challenge. Nothing is wrong with her picks so her brain is as sharp as ever! I’m inspired by the long-term names in the bracket – it’s a measure of those who really want to pick a bracket. No nonsense, since there isn’t a chat room.
It’s tough to be up to speed from week to week.
Hi! Good to “see” you. I knew Andi was OK as I’ve seen her picks.
Thanks for the good news re Mira Andi! Worst thing about the ‘net is the way people disappear.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/21/wimbledon-may-face-legal-action-over-ban-on-russian-and-belarusian-players
Didn’t Novax say he might boycott Wimby in support of the Russian players?
checking
I have an opinion on the subject if I am allowed to post.
Of course u are
What was I saying yesterday?!
This obviously isn’t Big Al!
Are Guest, Novak D, Honesty all one person? Among other monikers?
It’s manifestly clear someone or 2 people are just spamming the site with different user names including mine and Als…
NB. I have actually been intending not to post here until RG as I really really need to get a lot more work done! If anyone posts as me saying they love the orange fascist and the psychopath of Moscow it sure as hell isn’t me…
Toxic masculinity is one hell of a drug….
? Why say it’s not me? It was me!
amy,
What the heck is going on! It is bizarre to see people posting as regulars here.
Is it from tennis -x?
Thanks for that Amy that sounds like the real you.
Breaking news : Boris going to jail for fraud or similar
Becker, not the other one
Only time for the other one….I wish.
They have quite a few things in common