The exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s Wimbledon tournament has been met with criticism by two of the world’s top players - Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Both men criticized the All England Club on Sunday saying the decision to exclude players from Russia and Belarus was unfair.
“I’m sorry for them,” Nadal said. “Wimbledon just took their decision. The government didn’t force them to do it.”
“It’s not their fault what’s happening in this moment with the war,” said Nadal in Madrid, where both he and Djokovic are playing in this week’s Madrid Open.
Both professional tennis tours - the WTA and the ATP also voiced their concern over Wimbledon’s decision to ban both countries.
Several prominent players from Russia, including U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev along with Andrey Rublev, and French Open runner-up Ana Pavlyuchenkova will be affected by the decision.
Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, and Aryna Sabalenka, will also be barred from participating in the tournament.
In January, at the Australian Open, Djokovic was forced to leave the country after his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The world’s number one player compared the ban to the penalty he faced.
“It’s not the same thing, but going through something similar earlier this year for myself, it’s frustrating knowing that you’re not able to play,” Djokovic said. “I still stand by my position that I don’t support the [Wimbledon] decision. I think it’s just not fair, it’s not right, but it is what it is.”
The All England Club defended its ruling in a statement on Twitter.
“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.”
The Wimbledon Championship is set to begin on June 27. As events in Ukraine are changing daily, decisions on eligible entries may change.
Nadal was hopeful for an amicable resolution. “Let’s see what happens in the next weeks, if the players will take some kind of decision in [this] regard.”
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