Wimbledon is moving ahead with its plan of banning all Russian players from competing.
Russian tennis players will be barred from the third Grand Slam of the season, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The All England Club would become the first tennis organization to refuse entry to Russians outright.
The ATP and WTA Tours and the International Tennis Federation have allowed players from Russia and Belarus to continue competing but they are barred from displaying their national flags or playing their national anthems.
England has taken sterner measures than the rest in other sports as well with the British Grand Prix banning Russian Mazepin in defiance of FiA’s ruling.
Russia and Belarus have already been banned from team competitions such as the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup.
The decision would prevent world No. 2 and the current US Open Champion Daniil Medvedev and world No. 8 Andrey Rublev from competing in the Wimbledon men’s draw.
Rublev made headlines last month when he wrote “no war please” on a television camera lens after winning a match in Dubai becoming the first athlete to oppose his county’s actions.
On the women’s side, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (ranked No. 15), Daria Kasatkina (No. 26), and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 29) would be among those affected by the ruling.
The decision to ban Belarus, which has shown political support for Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been made yet.
Two of women’s tennis’ highly ranked female players, Aryna Sabalenka (No. 4) and Victoria Azarenka (No. 18), hail from Belarus.
Multiple outlets previously reported that British government officials were in talks with the Lawn Tennis Association and considering implementing a ban on Russian athletes at Wimbledon.
British sports minister Nigel Huddleston said in March that “absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled” in Great Britain, floating the idea that Russian athletes could be screened regarding their allegiance to Putin.
Wimbledon is scheduled to begin on June 27.
