Wimbledon ready to ban Medvedev

Authority fears Russian win could boost Putin's regime

FE Team | Published: April 05, 2022 22:06:46

Wimbledon are ready to ban world No2 Danill Medvedev from this year's tournament over fears a Russian victory could boost the Vladimir Putin regime, according to British daily national newspaper The Telegraph.
The All England Club have been advised their independent status means that they could exert a ban on Russian and Belarussian players failing to denounce Putin and not face any legal repercussions. It sets the London grand slam apart from the main tennis tours, who have stayed largely neutral over fears they could be taken to court.
Recent images of war crimes in the suburbs of Kyiv have only added weight to the words of Nigel Huddleston, the sports minister, who is adamant that Putin must not be allowed to make political capital from the exploits of Russian athletes in Britain.
And while the three main tennis tours - which are administered by the ATP, the WTA and the ITF - have settled for requiring Russian individuals to continue playing without flags or anthems, it now seems increasingly likely that Wimbledon will go further.
As one person who has worked closely with the AELTC put it: "Private member clubs have more freedom as to who to allow in or not, so they wouldn't be subject to the same discrimination laws as the tours.
"If you are running the main tennis tour, you have the freedom to ban players - if they have been found guilty of match-fixing or doping, for instance - but you have to be able to show that this course of action is reasonable. "In this instance, if the tours took strong action, Russians players could argue that they are being prevented from making a living through no fault of their own. That is not so much of an issue for Wimbledon, however."
With Wimbledon's entry deadline set for mid-May, the AELTC are keen to set out a policy within the next month, so that players know what is required of them.
Huddleston has already suggested that players such as Medvedev or world No 5 Aryna Sabalenka, who is Belarussian, should only be allowed to participate in major sporting events in the UK if they sign an anti-Putin form.
As Huddleston said last week: "We wish to get assurance in a written declaration that they are not receiving money from Putin, Russia or Belarus [and] that they will not be making supportive comments of Putin, Russia or Belarus."