Novak Djokovic makes decision on boycotting Wimbledon as Serb 'happy' about punishment

© GETTY Novak Djokovic makes decision on boycotting Wimbledon as Serb 'happy' about punishment

Novak Djokovic insists he is "happy" Wimbledon has been stripped of its ranking points this year - but has hinted he will play at SW19 next month anyway. The All England Club have banned Russian and Belarusian players amid the war on Ukraine from playing at the Grand Slam but have been punished in response.

The ATP and WTA have confirmed that there will be no points on offer to players who take part in Wimbledon this year with Naomi Osaka, the former women's world No 1 and a four-time major winner, one of those to suggest she will skip the grass-court Slam as a result. Former Wimbledon champions Nadal and Andy Murray have also spoken out against the ban.

And after winning his first-round match at the French Open on Monday night, beating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0, world No 1 Djokovic insists he's happy to see the tournament where he is a six-time champion stripped of its points because they made a "wrong decision". But he has suggested he'll still be playing at the Championships, which begin on Monday 27 June.

Speaking in the mixed zone at Roland Garros, Djokovic declared: "I'm affected because I'm not able to defend 4,000 points [in Australia and Wimbledon]. But I'm happy to see that the ATP and the players decided to show Wimbledon that when you make a wrong decision, there are consequences.

"Wimbledon is still Wimbledon, it was my dream as a kid, I never looked at it for points of prize money, but I understand the group of players affected. It's a lose-lose situation."

Djokovic also claims that he had been given access to a document from the UK government that offered Wimbledon other options rather than