Tennis | Kremlin spokesman outraged by decision to shut down Russian players from Wimbledon, also backed by Novak Djokovic

Wimbledon the decision of the organizers of the tennis tournament to exclude Russian players from this year’s tournament due to the war started by Russia has been criticized by the umbrella organization of the sport, a star player From Novak Djokovic as well as from Russia.

The organizers said on Wednesday that in the current situation they cannot allow the Russian administration to take advantage of the participation of Russian or Belarusian players in the tournament.

“We understand this to be difficult for the parties involved. It is sad that they are suffering from the actions of the Russian administration, ”said the chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which is responsible for organizing the tournament. Ian Hewitt said in a statement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov took a stand on Wednesday before official confirmation that information about the closure of Russian players began to seep. According to Peskov, the closure of Russian players will damage the tournament due to the level of Russian players.

There are four Russian men among the top 100 players in the world. On the women’s side, there are eight Russians on the top 100 list.

“It is unacceptable for athletes to be held hostage to political prejudice and intrigue. Hopefully the condition of the players will not decrease, ”Peskov said.

The Russians are not alone in their opinions.

ATP, the umbrella organization for men’s tennis professionals, condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine but ruled that the decision to shut down Russian players from Wimbledon was wrong.

“We consider the decision unfair and potentially damaging to tennis. Discrimination on the basis of nationality violates our agreement with Wimbledon that ranking is the only determining factor in entering a tournament. ” in the bulletin states.

Serbia is also number one on the world rankings for men Novak Djokovic took a position on behalf of Russian players.

“I always condemn the war, I know how much trauma it leaves,” Djokovic himself, who had a life as a child in the war himself, told Reuters.

“However, I can’t support Wimbledon’s decision, I think it’s crazy. When politics gets involved in sports, the end result is not good. ”

Tennis is one of the few sports in which Russian and Belarusian athletes are still allowed to participate in international competitions. It remains to be seen whether other tournaments will follow the path signposted by Wimbledon.