Wimbledon 2022: Russian players including Medvedev to be banned from competing

The organisers mentioned it deliberate to announce a decision in mid-May ahead of the entry deadline for the June 27-July 10 tournament. The AELTC didn’t instantly reply to request for comment on the report.

The law generally doesn’t allow discrimination on the basis of national origin, including Russia, but sports tournaments, like the Boston Marathon & now Wimbledon, can argue they aren’t employers or events the public can automatically participate in. We live in interesting times. https://t.co/R1WJl4MzNK

— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) April 20, 2022

A ban on Russian players would prevent world number two Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, ranked eighth, from competing in the men’s draw. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is 15th within the women`s rankings. The report mentioned it was unclear whether or not players from Belarus would even be banned. Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a ‘special operation’.

Tennis governing bodies banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion. Individual players are allowed to compete on excursions however not under the name or flag of their international locations. British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston mentioned last month that he wouldn’t be snug with a ‘Russian athlete flying the Russian flag’ and winning Wimbledon in London.

Dominic Thiem happy with Belgrade display regardless of losing on return

Dominic Thiem mentioned he was pleased with elements of his performance on the Serbia Open on Tuesday regardless of going down to Australian John Millman in the former US Open champion’s first Tour-level match in 10 months. The 28-year-old, who completed runner-up at the French Open twice and as soon as on the Australian Open before winning the 2020 US Open, lost 3-6, 6-3, 4-6 after battling for over two-and-half hours at the ATP 250 event in Belgrade.

“It felt good,” mentioned the previous world number three, who spent an extended period on the sidelines after struggling a right wrist injury on the Mallorca Open last June. “Actually, I’m really happy because it was a match; it was a fight.

“I’m happy (with) how I was fighting, how I was defending, how I was moving. The backhand was pretty good. The forehand is not there yet, but I know this and I’m practising so that it`s getting better.”

Thiem, who has slipped to 54th in the rankings, returned to aggressive action last month, shedding in straight sets in a Challenger Tour occasion in Marbella. The Austrian then missed extra time after testing positive for COVID-19.

(with Reuters inputs)