As a result of the continuing invasion of Ukraine, players from Russia and Belarus will not compete at Wimbledon this year.
The highest-ranked players impacted are Daniil Medvedev of Russia and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who are placed second (men) and fourth (women) in the World Tennis Rankings, respectively.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) in a statement said it had a responsibility to “limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible”.
“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.
“It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to Wimbledon.” It read
Sabalenka was a semi-finalist at last year’s edition, while Medvedev reached the fourth round.
Source: vanguardngr.com