SPORTS
Wimbledon confirms ban on Russian and Belarusian players for Tournament's 2022 edition in the summer
Baku, April 20, AZERTAC
Wimbledon has confirmed that it has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing at the 2022 championships, according to Eurosport.
The All England Club's decision would be the first time Russian players have been expressly prohibited from competing in an elite tennis event, with ATP, WTA and ITF tournaments thus far allowing Russians - and Belarussians - to take part, albeit in a neutral capacity without displaying their national flag or having their national anthem played.
The ITF has however banned Russia and Belarus from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, events where players compete for their country.
Notable absentees from the third Grand Slam of the year will Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev on the men's side, with the likes of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina likely to miss out on the women's event.
In total there are four Russian men ranked in the ATP top 100, with eight Russian women in the WTA equivalent.