Daniil Medvedev Won’t Challenge Wimbledon Ban On Russian And Belarussian Players

Topline

Daniil Medvedev, the second-ranked men’s tennis player, won’t take the All England Club to court over its decision to ban Russian and Belarusan players from Wimbledon, after countries and companies alike distance themselves from Russian ties.

Key Facts

“I’m not a lawyer,” and won’t be challenging the decision, Medvedev told reporters before the French Open on Friday, according to Reuters.

The player harbored hope the ban would be lifted after the April decision, according to Reuters.

“We recognize that this is hard on the individuals affected, and it is with sadness that they will suffer for the actions of the leaders of the Russian regime,” said Wimbledon officials in the statement on the ban.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, the governing body for men’s tennis, has permitted Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.

Key Background

The ban comes amid moves worldwide to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and includes Belarusan players because their country has been used as a staging area for Russian forces. The exclusion from the June 27 tournament raised eyebrows and received criticism from the sport’s current and former athletes.

Chief Critic

The ATP on Friday stripped ranking points from Wimbledon this summer in response to the ban. “Our rules and agreements exist in order to protect the rights of players as a whole. Unilateral decisions of this nature, if unaddressed, set a damaging precedent for the rest of the Tour. Discrimination by individual tournaments is simply not viable on a Tour that operates in more than 30 countries,” it said in a statement.

Tangent

Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev, ranked seventh in the world, scrawled ‘no war please’ on a camera lens at the Dubai Tennis Championship in February at the start of the invasion.

Further Reading

Medvedev not going to court over Wimbledon ban on Russian players (Reuters)

Daniil Medvedev breaks silence on Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players (CBS Sports)