“This is one way out” Andrey Rublev ready to change nationality after the ban by Wimbledon
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Andrey Rublev
World No. 8 Andrey Rublev was one of the top stars to remain absent from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships as the Grand Slam had banned all Russian and Belarusian players from competing in the Grand Slam as the Russian forces continue to wreak havoc in Ukraine for nearly 5 months now. Rublev had been one of the most vocal Russian players but his actions could not see him and his compatriots getting entry for Wimbledon.
While the ATP and WTA removed ranking points from Wimbledon this year due to the ban on the players, Rublev and Co. were still absent from the action. With reports emerging of the US Open also looking at a similar ban, the reports turned out to be false and the Wimbledon is likely to remain the only tournament that won’t allow the players from the two nations. Rublev has however considered other options after the setback in Wimbledon.
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“I still want to believe that I will play again”: Andrey Rublev
Rublev recently appeared on the Youtube channel of a Russian vlogger Vitya Kravchenko along with compatriot Daria Kasatkina. where he talked about the proposal of Russian players to play Mixed Doubles with Ukrainian players, a proposal rejected by the Grand Slam. “We offered them (Wimbledon) to show understanding of our position. We offered them (that Russian players could) play doubles or mixed with a Ukrainian player and won’t show up at the award ceremony.
“Use the tennis platform to show how important it is to have world peace, that this is the most important thing right now. I am a tennis player. Thanks to this platform, I can deliver the right message. But the answer to all was the same: the Russian government would use the Russian result against everyone. No matter what idea it was, Wimbledon’s answer was the same – like this,” said Rublev speaking about the failed proposal.
He was then asked whether Wimbledon would have accepted him had he burned his passport to which he shockingly said yes. “If we are talking about Wimbledon, then for them, yes – to change the passport. If we are completely banned from all tournaments and I want to continue my sports career, then this is one of the ways out,” added Andrey.
Rublev, the reigning Mixed Doubles Gold medal winner at the Olympics, was then asked about his thoughts on potentially not playing the Olympics again if the war does not end and the Russian Tennis Federation remains suspended. “I still want to believe that I will play again. I would like to believe in it. And I am extremely grateful that I managed to take the gold,” said Rublev.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)