Daniil Medvedev: UK government wants assurances that Russian tennis star is not a supporter of Vladimir Putin

By Ben Church, CNN

Updated 1121 GMT (1921 HKT) March 16, 2022

Daniil Medvedev may have to reject Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to play at Wimbledon.

(CNN)Grand slam champion Daniil Medvedev may have to jump through a few diplomatic hoops if he wants to compete at Wimbledon later this year.

Asked at a UK Parliament select committee meeting on Tuesday about Medvedev competing at Wimbledon, British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said he may seek «assurances» that the Russian star, who won his first grand slam at the US Open last year, does not support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. «Absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled,» said Huddleston.«We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines.»Huddleston said he was in touch with the tournament organizers, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), and that discussions were taking place. Read MoreNikita Mazepin: Fired Russian F1 driver announces fund to help other excluded athletesCNN reached out to the AELTC but has not received an immediate response. Current rules allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete on the men's ATP and women's WTA tour but only as neutral athletes. Russia and Belarus, which helped stage the invasion of Ukraine, are banned from team events such as the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup as sport continues to turn its back on Putin. «My message is always the same — I want peace in all of the world,» Medvedev told reporters earlier this month when asked about the war. CNN has contacted Medvedev's team about Huddleston's comments but did not receive an immediate response. Daniil