Two All England Club officials defended during a news conference Tuesday the “intensely tough and agonizing decision” to bar players from Russia and Belarus from Wimbledon this year because of the invasion of Ukraine.
Citing the club’s “responsibility to play our part in limiting the possibility of Wimbledon being used to justify the harm being done to others by the Russian regime,” Chief Executive Sally Bolton said, “we believe that this decision is the only viable option for Wimbledon.”
After Russia attacked Ukraine in February — with help from Belarus — tennis players from Russia and Belarus were able to continue competing but as “neutral” athletes not formally representing their nations. Russia’s athletes were prevented from participating in several other sports; its national men’s soccer team, for example, was kept out of the World Cup qualifying playoffs for the tournament in Qatar later this year.
Asked about the possibility of allowing players from Russia or Belarus to enter Wimbledon if they submitted a written declaration distancing themselves from Russian President Vladimir Putin — as proposed by British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston — Hewitt said: “There would still be the serious risk of participation and success of players being used to support the propaganda machine of the Russian regime. And we know that they do have a history of using sport to advance their cause.
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