Djokovic criticizes Wimbledon over decision to ban Russian tennis players: When politics interfere with sport, the result is not good
Tennis player Novak Djokovic has called Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players "crazy" over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Yesterday, the organizers of the Grand Slam, All England Law Tennis Club, announced that it had banned all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championship in the middle of the war in Ukraine.
Wimbledon is the first major tennis tournament to stop individual competitors from both countries, meaning that world number two Daniil Medvedev from Russia and fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus will be excluded from the competition.
Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, said the athletes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.
"I will always condemn the war, I will never support the war being a child of the war itself," Djokovic said.
"However, I can not support Wimbledon's decision, I think it is madness. When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good."