All Russian and Belarusian players will be denied entry into the prestigious Wimbledon Championships in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement released to the public, the tournament organizers confirmed that the event will bar all players from Russia and Belarus on the basis that inviting them to SW19 will give indirect “benefit” to the Russian regime in the form of publicity.

The All England Club went on to profess solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine during these troubled times. Furthermore, it was made clear that the UK government’s previous statements regarding measures to curtail Russian global influence in all areas through stringent measures were a driving factor in the decision.

Ian Hewitt, the club’s chairman, admitted that the players in question, like Daniil Medvedev, should not have to suffer for what their respective leaders have done. For the record, Daniil Medvedev has been remarkably outspoken in his condemnation of Vladmir Putin, much like Rublev, Khachanov, Pavlyuchenkova and every tennis player from the two countries.

At the same time, however, Hewitt maintained that Wimbledon has no option but to deny Daniil Medvedev and the rest their participation at the event.

It should be noted that the decision can be reversed if circumstances change “materially between now and June.” But it remains unlikely that Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and the others will be able to play at SW19 based on how things appear at the moment.

Daniil Medvedev and the rest of the Russian and Belarusian tennis players have to sit out the entire trip to UK, not just Wimbledon

It is not just Wimbledon that is banning Russian and Belarusians like Victoria Azarenka and Daniil Medvedev, but the UK’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) as well.

In a statement, the LTA announced that the organization has decided to ban them for the same reasons as the All England Club.

Similar to the ruling by Wimbledon, the LTA’s decision can also be reversed under exceptional circumstances. Until then, however, all junior and pro-level tennis tournaments in Great Britain will not see players from Russia and Belarus participate.

Interestingly, the LTA added that non-playing participants - such as officials and support staff for other players - who are from the aforementioned countries will be dealt with according to government guidelines.

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