Novak Djokovic SLAMS Wimbledon decision to ban Russian and Belarusian stars

Novak Djokovic SLAMS Wimbledon decision to ban Russian and Belarusian stars.

The All England Club event will not feature any players from countries that invaded Ukraine.

TENNIS’ world number one Novak Djokovic SLAMS Wimbledon organiser’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian stars from participating in this year’s tournament.

Djokovic, who has endured a few stressful seasons due to the Covid controversy in Australia, grew up in war-torn Serbia and told reporters at the Serbia Open, an ATP 250 event in Belgrade that he thought the decision was ‘crazy’.

“I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war,” Djokovic said.

“I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans we have had many wars in recent history.

“However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy.

“When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”

🎙️ Novak Djokovic, el número uno del mundo, lo tiene clarísimo y no apoya la decisión tomada por Wimbledon. pic.twitter.com/ngHqqjZj9g

— Set Tenis (@settenisok) April 20, 2022

The organisers of the All England Club event, which runs from June 27 to Sunday, July 10, 2022, are likely to suspend athletes from the two countries involved in the invasion of Ukraine.

If the move goes ahead, world No 2 Daniil Medvedev and the former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka will miss out on the tournament, which will be the first to suspend players from the countries.

Also set to miss out are four Russian men in the top 30 and top-ten ranked Andrey Rublev (ranked 8).

One Russian woman, Anastasia Pavluychenkova, and two Belarusian women players in the top 20 are also set to miss out, including last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka, who is the current world No 4, according to a report in the New York Times.