Daniil Medvedev's Wimbledon ban threat slammed as 'shameful' by Novak Djokovic's ex-coach

The former coach of Novak Djokovic has slammed suggestions of a ban on Russian players at Wimbledon amid the war in Ukraine. The likes of world No 2 Daniil Medvedev could be prevented from playing the tournament unless they provide "assurances" that they do not support Vladimir Putin.

Both the All England Club club and the country's Sports Minister have threatened a ban for Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon this summer after the invasion of Ukraine. With a mid-May entry list deadline, the tournament has just weeks to decide whether players from the two nations will be barred from competing this year and tennis coach Nikola Pilic has weighed in ahead of the final decision, slamming the idea.

Pilic was essential in the development of Djokovic into a world No 1 player and 20-time Grand Slam champion, running a tennis academy in Germany that the Serb used to train at. And the retired Croat is fully against punishments for Russian tennis players amid the war.

"It's just a shame," he told Kurir. "Did they do something similar when the Americans entered Iraq and killed over a million civilians there?" The 82-year-old who won nine titles and reached the 1973 French Open final during his playing career also slammed the potential sanctions against Russian players as an "exaggeration", believing the move wasn't necessary.

JUST IN: Raducanu suffers more injury woes in emphatic BJK Cup loss for Britain

He continued: "Did they ban their tennis players from playing? They are exaggerating in any sense." Pilic also slammed "Russophobia in Britain", saying: "it's been like that for the last 150 years."

Russian and Belarusian players are currently competing as neutrals with no mention of their flags or countries, but this may