Andrey Rublev says Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players is 'complete discrimination'

ByEurosport

Updated 22/04/2022 at 08:02 GMT

Andrey Rublev says he has not been given a good reason for why Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from playing at Wimbledon. The 24-year-old has branded the All England Tennis Club's decision as "complete discrimination". He also says all prize money from the Grand Slam should be donated to the Ukraine relief effort.

Russian world No. 8 Andrey Rublev says Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players is “complete discrimination”.

The All England Club have banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing at the Grand Slam following the invasion of Ukraine.

It means Rublev and world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev will not be allowed to participate at SW19 which gets underway on June 27.

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In total there are four Russian men ranked in the ATP top 100, with eight Russian women in the WTA equivalent.

Wimbledon is the first tennis tournament to ban individual athletes from the two countries. It is also the first time players have been banned due to their nationality since the immediate post-World War Two era when German and Japanese players were excluded.

The ATP and WTA have condemned the All England Club for their stance while world No. 1 Novak Djokovic said the decision is “crazy”.

Rublev, who beat Jiri Lehecka 4-6 7-6(1) 6-2 to progress to the Serbia Open quarter-finals on Thursday, says the decision is “not logical” and that all prize money should be donated to the relief efforts in Ukraine.

“What is happening now is complete discrimination against us,” he told reporters.

“The reasons they gave us had no sense, they were not logical. Banning Russian or Belarusian players... will not change anything.

"To give all the prize money would have a more positive effect to humanitarian help, to the families who are suffering, to the kids who are suffering.

"I think that would do something. Tennis will, in that case, be the first and only sport who donates that amount of money and it will be Wimbledon so they will take all the glory."

Rublev wrote 'no war please' on a camera lens after his semi-final win at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

'Sport should be outside of politics' - Rublev responds to UK sports minister's comment

In March, he said sports and politics should not be mixed when Nigel Huddleston, the United Kingdom’s government’s sport, tourism and heritage minister, suggested Russian and Belarusian players should denounce the invasion if they were to compete at Wimbledon.

The Belarusian Tennis Federation are seeking legal advice about the decision to ban their players from Wimbledon.

"Such destructive actions in no way contribute to the resolution of conflicts but only incite hatred and intolerance on a national basis," the governing body said.

Russian and Belarusian players who speak out against the invasion of Ukraine should be allowed to compete at Wimbledon, says Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

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