Djokovic joins ATP and WTA in criticising Wimbledon ban on Russian and Belarusian players

Novak Djokovic has joined the ATP and WTA in criticising Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it had barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships due to the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation".

The prestigious grasscourt Grand Slam is the first tennis event to ban individual competitors from the two countries, meaning men's world No 2 Daniil Medvedev and eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev from Russia, and women's world No 4 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will be banned from the June 27-July 10 tournament.

Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, said the athletes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.

"I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war," Djokovic said at the Serbia Open, an ATP 250 event in Belgrade, where he advanced past compatriot Laslo Dere 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

"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."

The All England Lawn Tennis Club's (AELTC) decision has also been criticised by the ATP and WTA tours.

"We strongly condemn Russia’s reprehensible invasion of Ukraine and stand in solidarity with the millions of innocent people affected by the ongoing war," the ATP said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev will be among the Russian players banned from competing at Wimbledon this year. AP

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