The UK-based tennis tournament announced the ban in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic has called a ban on Russian and Belarusian players competing at Wimbledon “crazy”.

His critique on Thursday came a day after the oldest tennis tournament in the world announced the measure, in light of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Wimbledon, which is based in the United Kingdom, became the first tennis tournament to prevent individual athletes from the two countries from competing amid the continuing conflict.

Speaking to reporters at the Serbia Open, Djokovic said he “cannot support the decision of Wimbledon”.

“I think it’s crazy,” he added. “When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”

He added, however, he will “always condemn war, I will never support war, being myself a child of war … I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia, we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans, we have had many wars in recent history.”

The ban means world number two Daniil Medvedev from Russia and women’s fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will not participate in the June 27-July 10 competition.

Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club, said on Wednesday, “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.”

“The Belarusian Tennis Federation categorically condemns the decision taken by the organisers of Wimbledon to suspend Belarusian and Russian tennis players,” it said in a statement.

“Such destructive actions in no way contribute to the resolution of conflicts, but only incite hatred and intolerance on a national basis.”

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the breakaway players’ body launched by Djokovic in 2020, said it was committed to protecting the tennis community having heard the experiences of individuals impacted by the war.

“As major competitions throughout our sport contemplate banning Russian and Belarusian athletes, we have to reflect and understand that many of them have lost their freedom of choice and expression, due to the laws being enforced by the Russian and Belarus Federations,” the PTPA said in a statement.

“Speaking against Russian or Belarus or denouncing the invasion may result in imprisonment.”

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina said Russian and Belarusian players who denounce Moscow’s invasion of her country should be allowed to participate at Wimbledon.

Medvedev made a plea for peace on Twitter in February while his compatriot Andrey Rublev wrote “No War Please” on the lens of a TV camera on his way to winning the Dubai title.

Sport meets geopolitics

Djokovic has not shied away from controversy during his professional career, most recently during a public standoff with Australian officials over his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The tennis player was also widely criticised in September of 2021 for dining with Milan Jolovic, a former commander of the notorious Drina Wolves paramilitary unit, which participated in the genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Jolovic is celebrated by many Serbs for saving the life of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic during the war in Bosnia in July 1993, when Serb forces came across the Bosnian army in the Bjelasnica area just outside Sarajevo and had their tank destroyed.

With his unit, Jolovic managed to save Mladic and he was subsequently promoted to a higher rank.

A UN court in 2017 found Mladic guilty of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Before the dinner, Djokovic was also seen singing at a wedding in Bosnia with Bosnia’s Serb member of the presidency, Milorad Dodik, a well-known genocide denier who regularly advocates for the secession of Bosnia’s Serb-run entity, Republika Srpska, from the country.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/4/21/djokovic-calls-ban-on-russian-tennis-players-at-wimbledon-crazy

FTC jare

I dedicate am to the fallen soldiers in mauripol and other affected parts in Ukraine

Make yah all souls rest in perfect peace....


Djokovic nah one big clown


He thinks Politics shouldn't be involved in sport

But

Putin can infringe human rights anytime he wants

Too bad

OK nah

side effect of war

Double standards

Damnnn niggarrrr
Isoright
....more ban loading

It is for their safety. Some countries that are angry with Russia can take it out on the athletes.

Djokovic should shut up
When he was making that stupid decision to NOT get vaccinated, nobody talk

Rastaramsey:
Abeg shut up jare

Politics shouldn't be involved in sport

But

Putin can infringe human rights anytime he wants

nairaland key board warrior telling a world tennis champion to shut up , typing comfortably from his " face me I slap you one bedroom" wonderful

Oka

Why don’t they ban USA, UK and France for the destruction of Libya, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Syria.
I said this war will open up the world to see real life.

B

He is right, politics should never interfer with sports

w

seunny4lif:
Why don’t they ban USA, UK and France for the destruction of Libya, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Syria.
I said this war will open up the world to see real life.

because the United States are hypocrites

E don Dey red

Gbege

Rastaramsey:
FTC jare

I dedicate am to the fallen soldiers in mauripol and other affected parts in Ukraine

Make yah all souls rest in perfect peace....
Back to business

Abeg shut up jare


Politics shouldn't be involved in sport

But

Putin can infringe human rights anytime he wants

Where were you in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan?
Do you know weapons shipped to Libya increased Mali, Nigeria, B/Faso and many west Africa Terrorists attacks?

Boycott na

Crazy man Putin should have considered the consequences of his aggressive nature

codad4:
Djokovic should shut up
When he was making that stupid decision to NOT get vaccinated, nobody talk

Is vaccination by force?

They have the right because humanity is greater than sport

Unfortunately with a warmongering maniac as their leader, there is little room for recourse.

Issorite

Separate politics from sport. Hypocrites. Dangerous move...first you seize Russian assets because they are Russians next Facebook says it will accept hate speech against Russians......once this evil system is created ....it will soon be let's ban heterosexuals....let's ban Muslims....let's ban Christians.....let's ban atheists.....it will never stop...this is what racism looks like....

Djokovic has become a rebel lately.
His opinion though