Novak Djokovic should be barred as Wimbledon chiefs told they're wrong over Russian ban

Wimbledon has been told their ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players was the wrong idea, with world No 1 Novak Djokovic deserving to be barred over his unvaccinated status instead. More than 11,000 Express Sport readers voted in a poll and claimed the All England Club weren't right to ban Russians, while also saying the defending champion should not be allowed to compete.

The All England Club recently confirmed a blanket ban on all Russian and Belarusian players in response to the war in Ukraine. During their spring press conference, the Chief Executive and Chairman also confirmed that vaccination was not a requirement for the tournament, meaning defending champion Djokovic would be allowed to compete after he was kept out of the Australian Open.

But Express Sport readers believe Wimbledon should have reversed their decisions, allowing players from Russia and Belarus to compete but banning the six-time champion. 59 per cent of the 11,694 responses stated that the Serb should not be able to play over his vaccination status.

55 per cent said Wimbledon were not right to ban Russian and Belarusian players, with a staggering 75 per cent agreeing with the likes of Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal's decisions to speak out against the controversial decision. Murray, a two-time champion at SW19, admitted he couldn't support the ban despite understanding the reasons behind it.

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"I have spoken to some of the Russian players, I've spoken to some of the Ukrainian players. I feel really bad for the players who aren't allowed to play and I get that it will seem unfair obviously to them. I'm friendly and close with some of them and I feel bad for them," he