Russian tennis players can attend Wimbledon

According to the British Telegraph, Daniil Medvedev and his Russian and Belarusian colleagues will be able to attend Wimbledon if they sign a declaration that does not promote, or glorify, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

"If a player commits to that, he will be able to attend the pre-Wimbledon tournaments," a source from the All England Tennis Club (AELTC) told the Telegraph. Sports Illustrated newspaper also confirmed this information and confirmed that the ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players will soon be lifted.

In an official statement on March 6, AELTC said it was still working closely with the British Government to express its position on the conflict in Ukraine.

Wimbledon last year banned 17 Russian and Belarusian players from participating in the tournament after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. This resulted in the British Tennis Association being fined a total of more than two million USD by the ATP and WTA. This is a big loss in the context of the WTA tournaments in Nottingham and Birmingham losing money every year.

In a speech in Australia earlier this year, world number one Novak Djokovic expressed his hope that the strongest players will be able to play at Grand Slams, including Wimbledon. Djokovic himself was expelled from the Australian Open last year and was not allowed to enter the US to attend the year-end Grand Slam.

Djokovic on March 6 confirmed his withdrawal from the Indian Wells Masters because he could not enter the US. The Serbian tennis player is also likely to withdraw from the Miami Masters later this month. The US government plans to lift the ban on entry for unvaccinated people on May 11. Djokovic therefore has to wait until the summer to play tournaments in the US, including the US Open.