Is banning Russian players from Wimbledon is a logical move? What does it mean for Tennis’ future?
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Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev
Wimbledon is preparing to ban Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev, fearing that a victory would give Vladimir Putin a boost, according to The Telegraph. In March, there was talk of banning Russian players who did not publicly criticise Putin and his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Medvedev has not openly condemned the invasion, but he has not lived in Russia for more than ten years. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), where the tournament is hosted, has had “discussions” to determine their next measures, according to UK sports minister Nigel Huddleston.
Wimbledon has a free hand to ban players at will
Because the AELTC is an independent competition, it has the authority to ban Russian and Belarussian participants without fear of legal repercussions. Athletes from Russia and Belarus are currently permitted to compete in ATP, WTA, and ITF competitions under a neutral flag. Wimbledon’s independence from those organisations, on the other hand, allows them to set their own regulations.
According to The Telegraph, a trusted source revealed, “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 tour. 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, Russian 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.”
Nevertheless, Wimbledon will need to make a final decision in the next month with the entry deadline set for mid-May.
What does banning Russian Players mean for tennis future?
Daniil Medvedev, the world’s No. 2 tennis player, and his Russian compatriots continue to face criticism for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. Life has been difficult for Russian athletes professionally since the war began more than 1.5 months ago, as they face probable sanctions and have already had their flags removed.
Several tennis players have expressed their thoughts on the subject. Starting with Andrey Rublev, who scrawled “No War Please” on a TV camera minutes after reaching the Dubai Championships final. Apart from him, Former World number one Victoria Azarenka has spoken out against the war between Russia and Ukraine saying she is ‘devastated’ by the actions in Eastern Europe. Ukrainian tennis players, like their Russian and Belarussian colleagues, did not hesitate to express their views. Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, for example, cried every night as a result of her country’s invasion and refused to play Russian and Belarusian tennis players in tournaments.
Despite the player’s concern and opposition to the war, the global outrage against Putin has been so intense since the issue erupted that sport has been forced to come out from behind its traditional cloak of “neutrality” in political concerns. However, several sports organisations, including tennis and biathlon, are permitting Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete as “neutrals.” Tennis governing authorities, though, have barred Russian and Belarussian players from participating in team competitions. A
As a result of all of this, Russian athletes’ human rights are being violated, despite the fact that they are not responsible for the military activity in Ukraine. Their mental health is deteriorating, which is affecting their performance in court. Furthermore, in tennis, the majority of the top players are Russian, and if they are denied entry to future events as a result of what they did not do, the sport will undoubtedly enter a dark period.
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)