Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year due to Russia's "unjustified" invasion of Ukraine, the All England Club announced Wednesday.
"Given the profile of The Championships in the United Kingdom and around the world, it is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts of Government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia's global influence through the strongest means possible," the statement from the All England Club said.
"In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships. It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships 2022."
The decision would be reconsidered "if circumstances change materially between now and June," the statement said.
Wimbledon begins on June 27 and runs through July 10.
A ban on Russian players prevents world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and No. 8 Andrey Rublev from competing in the men's draw. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is 15th in the women's rankings.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is ranked No. 4 and was a Wimbledon semifinalist last year. Her compatriot Victoria Azarenka, a former No. 1, is ranked No. 18.
Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation."
Wimbledon has not banned athletes from countries since after World War II, when players from Germany and Japan were not allowed to compete.
Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev told the country's Sport Express newspaper that there was nothing it could do.
"I think this decision is wrong but there is nothing we can change," Tarpischev said. "The (Russian) Tennis Federation has already done everything it could. "I don't want to talk about this, but I will say that this decision goes against the athletes. ... We are working on the situation, that's all I can say."
The Kremlin said the ban was unacceptable and would hurt Wimbledon, given Russia's tennis prowess.
"We recognise that this is hard on the individuals affected, and it is with sadness that they will suffer for the actions of the leaders of the Russian regime," All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said in a statement.
"We have very carefully considered the alternative measures that might be taken within the UK Government guidance but, given the high profile environment of The Championships, the importance of not allowing sport to be used to promote the Russian regime and our broader concerns for public and player (including family) safety, we do not believe it is viable to proceed on any other basis at The Championships."
The All England Club said the British Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will also bar Russian and Belarusian players from competing in UK events "to ensure that British tennis is delivering a consistent approach across the summer."
Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at the French Open, which begins May 22, but as neutral athletes.
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Wimbledon bars players from Russia, Belarus due to war in Ukraine - ESPN
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