Will Russia’s top-ranked tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev see action in the 2022 Wimbledon Championship, scheduled June 27 to July 10 this year at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Church Road, South-west London?
Chances are – and sadly – they won’t.
Despite their global ranking in the Top 10, these two Russian tennis players, with Medvedev at no. 2, won’t be facing the likes of defending champion Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, for the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis trophy.
Wimbledon Ban
The All England Club announced that Russia and its ally Belarus would be forbidden from taking part in this year’s Wimbledon, traditionally held in London since 1877.
The ban is consistent with the UK’s sanctions against Russia for its continuing aggression in Ukraine. The prohibition also includes top Russian women’s player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova , and Belarusian aces Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka.
The Thai sportsbook Vwin reports that Wimbledon’s seeding system includes the world’s top 32 players, with Medvedev and Rublev in the list for men. In the women’s draw, at least six are affected, including No. 4-ranked Sabalenka and No. 18-ranked Azarenka, both of Belarus.
Backlash
A number of top players have expressed their dismay over the decision of the All England Club. Defending champion Djokovic said he “cannot support the decision of Wimbledon.”
The 20-time Major title holder, grand slam winner, and world’s no. 1 was quoted to have said “when politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”
Nadal and Andy Murray publicly share Djokovic’s sentiment and call the UK’s decision to ban Russia and Belarus as “very unfair.” The three other tennis majors – Australian Open, French Open, and US Open – did not make similar exclusions, which critics of the ban describe to be a dangerous precedent.
London Organizers vs. Top Players
These players have hinted of possible united action against Wimbledon if the sanction continues, but UK officials appear to be unperturbed. Such solidarity moves include a boycott and no ranking point for Wimbledon for the participating players.
The world awaits with bated breath as London organizers and the world’s top players exchange arguments over the issue.
The threats are not without bite though. Djokovic is founder and president of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). The PTPA is a guild of singles players in the top 500 and doubles players in the top 200 of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and World Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.
The ATP is the primary mover behind no ranking point.
Undeniably, the best scenario is for all top 128 players, regardless of political color, to vie for the world’s most sought-after tennis title as it has been the tradition at the Wimbledon.
But as things stand now, tennis fans may just have to settle for a tournament without players from Russia and Belarus. Or settle for something even worse – a Wimbledon without the world’s top tennis guns, including Djokovic, Nadal, and Murray, in the competitions.
Despite challenges, Wimbledon looks all set to stage the 158th edition of the Championships, even with a lesser number of big names and no ranking points from the ATP.