Wimbledon vetoes Russia: The world tennis figures who will miss the British Grand Slam

Wimbledon is controversial in 2022. Due to the news that the event will ban the participation of Russian and Belarusian tennis players, 17 athletes will miss the British Grand Slam. A milestone that will undoubtedly affect the competition, since among them are five top 15.

The measure was confirmed by a press release issued this morning. “Under the circumstances of such unprecedented and unwarranted military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefit from the participation of Russian or Belarusian players at Wimbledon. Therefore, we intend, with deep regret, to refuse Russian and Belarusian player registrations for the 2022 Championships.” reported the tournament.

A decision that will prevent 17 tennis players, between men and women, from participating in the competition which takes place at the All England Tennis Club. A list that includes many of the heavyweights of the circuit and whose absence will be noticed.

Probably the name everyone thought of when the news of the ban on Russian tennis players broke. Daniil Medvedev (2nd) is one of the most watched players of the year, since is very close to being able to definitively snatch the world number one from Novak Djokovic a seat he only got for a week this season.

The problem was that the results didn’t go along with the Muscovite and he was quickly relegated to world number two. Something that could change at Wimbledon, since Novak defends the title . Unfortunately with that, that option is buried.

Moreover, Medvedev will not appear in the circuit in the medium term, due to a hernia that will cause him to miss the brick dust trick . Thus, the Russian will only play on the American tour, where he defends the title of the US Open.

Another strong name that will not be at Wimbledon. The former world number one, born in Belarus, will also not be able to participate in the competition in which she was a semi-finalist in 2011 and 2012.

damn anyway he was on “pause” in his career after announcing in Miami that he was suffering from extreme stress. Many imagined that his return would be precisely on the grass circuit, where he has always collected good results.

World number seven was one of the first Russian players to show their position before the invasion of Ukraine . It was during the Dubai tournament, as soon as his country’s war intentions became known, that Rublev sued for peace by winning one of his matches at the event.

The gesture quickly went viral and the player was applauded for his decision to show his unease with the war. Something that was not considered by Wimbledon anyway. The tournament will thus lose another of its seeds.

Belarus’ best tennis player won’t be at Wimbledon either. Sabalenka (4th), tournament semi-finalist in 2021 will also be affected by the decision, likely dropping many places in the women’s rankings as she cannot defend the 720 points she earned last year.

The current world number four has had a tough season, and many hoped that on the grass tour she would return to her best version. Something that now remains in the air, since It is unclear if Sabalenka will play a grass court tournament .

The third Grand Slam of the season will also lose Karen Khachanov (26), Aslan Karatsev (30), Ilya Ivashka (44th) on the men’s side.

While in women, the number is much larger. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15th), Daria Kasatkina (26th), Veronika Kudermetova (29th), Liudmila Samsonova (31st), Ekaterina Alexandrova (39th), Aliaksandra Sasnovich (50th), Varvara Gracheva (73rd), Anna Kalinskaya (75th) and Kamila Rakhimova (95th) will not play at Wimbledon.