Nadal, Djokovic and Murray slam Wimbledon decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes

By Issy Ronald, CNN

Updated 1017 GMT (1817 HKT) May 2, 2022

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have all criticized Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players in press conferences at the Madrid Open.

(CNN)Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, andNovak Djokovic have criticized Wimbledon's decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The three players — who have won 10 Wimbledon titles between them — joined the likes of the ATP and WTA in their opposition to the ban. «I think it's very unfair (on) my Russian tennis mates, my colleagues,» Nadal said in a press conference on Sunday ahead of the Mutua Madrid Open. «It's not their fault what's happening in this moment with the war.»I'm sorry for them, Wimbledon just took their decision… the government didn't force them to do it. Let's see what happens in the next weeks, if the players will take some kind of decision in that regard."Ukrainian players have largely supported Wimbledon's ban, and Sergiy Stakhovsky — who retired earlier this year and has since joined the Ukrainian army to defend his homeland — condemned Nadal's stance.Read More"@RafaelNadal we competed together… we've played each other on tour," Stakhovsky wrote on Twitter. «Please tell me how it is fair that Ukrainian players cannot return home? How it is fair that Ukrainian kids cannot play tennis? How is it fair that Ukrainians are dying ?»The All England Lawn Tennis Club's (AETLC) decision marks the first time that Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from an elite tennis event following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Several high-profile players would be unable to compete, including the men's world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and the women's world No.