“Where is the line” Daniil Medvedev questions the rulebook over the ‘unfair exclusion’ from Wimbledon
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Daniil Medvedev
World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev is one of the many Russian players who will be forced to skip the 2022 Wimbledon Championships because of the highly controversial ban imposed by the Grand Slam and LTA over not allowing any Russian or Belarusian player to participate in any grasscourt event in the UK.
The decision has been made over the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia with the Russians making an attempt to invade the European nation that has led to the war which began on 24th February. With Russia not backing down, the UK, one of the strongest opposers of the Russians have used the ban on the players as a way of showing their disapproval of the war.
Despite ATP, WTA and ITF not favouring the ban by LTA and Wimbledon, the two tennis institutions have not backed down and continue to remain adamant on now allowing the players to play. Speaking about this, Medvedev gave his two cents having been absent from tennis events for the past couple of months as he had to undergo a hernia surgery that kept him out of the majority of the Clay season.
“On the one hand, I can understand it and, on the other, I find it unfair. This is a delicate situation because it sets a precedent and puts other sports competitions in an uncomfortable position. Where is the line? What are the rules that should lead to a possible exclusion? Having discussed it with the ATP, we are, as tennis players, considered in terms of the law as independent workers.
“But currently, in the United Kingdom, self-employed Russians have the right to work. So, if I have the opportunity to play at Wimbledon, I would be delighted. If not, I would accept it. I don’t know if this decision is 100 per cent and it’s over. If I can play, I’m going to be happy to play in Wimbledon. I love this tournament. If I cannot play, well, I’m going to try to play other tournaments and prepare well for next year if I have the chance to play,” said Medvedev as per Russia’s state-affiliated news agency TASS.
“It’s very upsetting” Daniil Medvedev on the ongoing War
With the Russians and Belarusians facing a ban from playing, reports have emerged over steps being taken by ATP and WTA to reduce the damage to the absent players by making the events in the UK nothing but exhibition events which will be achieved by stripping the tournaments of the ranking points they offer.
“I tried to follow what’s happening because I don’t have any decisions to make. It’s right now about Wimbledon itself, the ATP, maybe the British Government is involved. It’s a tricky situation and like every situation in life, you ask 100 players and everybody’s going to give a different opinion. You show a tennis ball to 100 people, I’m sure some of them are going to say it’s green and not yellow.
“I think it’s yellow. If somebody tells me it’s green, I’m not going to get in conflict with this person. I had some time to follow what is happening, yeah. It’s very upsetting,” added Medvedev who will step on Clay for the first time this season at the 2022 Geneva Open as he looks to get some playing time under his belt before he travels to Paris for the 2022 French Open where he made the quarter-finals last year and will look to make a big run to close the gap to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the top.
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