A decision that makes noise.
Not just in the world of tennis.
Daniil Medvedev, world number 2, Andrey Rublev (8th), Aryna Sabalenka (4th and semi-finalist last year), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15th) and Viktoria Azarenka (ex-n°1 today 18th) will therefore not be able to defend their chances in London.
"
Under the circumstances of unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefit from the participation of Russian or Belarusian players
," the tournament said in a statement.
This decision could be reviewed if “
circumstances change radically by June
”, adds the text.
“
We recognize that this decision is hard on those individually affected, and it is with sadness that they will suffer from the actions of the leaders of the Russian regime
,” added the president of the All England Club which hosts the event, Ian Hewitt.
"
Once again, they are making athletes hostages of political prejudices, political intrigues (...) It is unacceptable
", declared the spokesman of the Kremlin Dmitri Peskov, even before the official announcement of the tournament.
Give us your opinion, do you approve or not of this decision?
Read alsoWimbledon: do you approve of the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players?