(Geneva) The world No.2 in tennis, Russian Daniil Medvedev, said on Sunday that he was ready to play at Wimbledon if the British tennis authorities lift the ban on Russian players due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Updated yesterday at 3:49 p.m.
He conceded, however, that it was a “complicated situation”.
Medvedev, who will return to competition at the Geneva Open next week after undergoing hernia surgery, said this will be the first opportunity for him to tell other players about the ban, which was announced on April 20.
Wimbledon organizers have come under fire from the Men’s (ATP) and Women’s (WTA) Tennis Players Association as well as the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for banning Russian and Belarusian players from taking part in the organized English Grand Slam. from June 27 to July 10.
“There has been a lot of discussion around it. I try to follow what is happening, because the decision is not mine. For now, it’s between Wimbledon, the ATP and maybe the British government,” the 26-year-old said during a press encounter in Geneva.
It’s a complicated situation and, like all other things in life, if you ask 100 players, everyone will have a different opinion.
Daniel Medvedev
” I can play. I would be happy to play at Wimbledon, because I love this tournament. If I can’t play well I will try to play other tournaments and prepare well for next year if I have the chance to play then”.
Djokovic opposes a boycott of the tournament
World No.1 Novak Djokovic said on Sunday that he was not in favor of a boycott of the Wimbledon tournament, after the decision of the Major on grass to exclude the Russians and Belarusians from the 2022 edition due to the war in Ukraine.
If he disputes this decision, which he described as “crazy” last month, the Serb considered that “boycotting is a very aggressive thing, in my opinion there are better solutions that we can arrive at”.
The world No.1, speaking at a press conference after his victory at the Masters 1000 in Rome, did not specify what “solutions” he was thinking of, but repeated that he did not approve of this exclusion: “The athletes are there to play sports, if they are taken away from sports just because they come from a certain country, it is a bad decision”.
“We need a bit of communication from Wimbledon. I’m not involved in the talks like I was ten years ago and I don’t speak with Wimbledon, but I’ve been told they’re very strict.”