Wimbledon Falls on Its Sword, Will Allow Russian and Belarusian Players to Compete in 2023 Championships

Wimbledon has reversed its decision from the 2022 tournament and will allow Russian players to participate. However, the Russians and Belarusians must adhere to certain conditions before the start of play. They must sign a “declaration of neutrality” and agree not to express support for the country’s invasion of Ukraine. This decision was not easy for the All England Club chairman, Ian Hewitt, but it was made to prevent punishing individual tennis players for something they had no part in.

Notably, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon. Wimbledon’s decision drew criticism from the Ukrainian foreign minister, who described it as “immoral.” The timing of the decision is also questionable, as reports recently broke about the arrest of a Wall Street Journal reporter in Russia.

However, the US Open allowed Russian players to compete in 2022 despite being unvaccinated. Novak Djokovic, who spoke out against the Russian athlete ban, was also allowed to play in 2021 and 2022.

Ian Miller is a former award-watching high school actor, author, and long-suffering Dodgers fan. He spends most of his time golfing, traveling, reading about World War I history, and trying to get the remote back from his dog. Follow him on Twitter @ianmSC