Russian tennis star’s Wimbledon hopes may depend on his anti-Putin stance

By Zuhal Demirci

LONDON (AA) - Russian world number one tennis player Daniil Medvedev may have to give "assurances" that he does not support President Vladimir Putin if the 26-year-old wants to avoid being barred from playing at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said Tuesday he is in talks with the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), the organizers of Wimbledon, about the government's stance on Russian athletes.

"We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Vladimir Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines," Huddleston said.

He stressed that no one who flies the Russian flag should be allowed to play at Wimbledon.

One of the four Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon is scheduled to be held in London from June 27 to July 10.

In late February, Medvedev became the no. 1 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Rankings with 8,615 points, surpassing Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic.

Medvedev won the men’s singles title at the 2021 US Open, the Russian athlete's sole Grand Slam victory.

He last played in the 2022 Australian Open final, where he was beaten by Spain's Rafael Nadal.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 691 civilians have been killed and 1,143 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

More than 3 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, according to the UN.

*Writing by Can Erozden