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Kremlin issues statement on Wimbledon banning Russian players

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The Kremlin has issued a statement following the Wimbledon decision to ban Russian players from competing, calling their actions “unacceptable.” Last week, Wimbledon confirmed Russian and Belarusian players won’t be allowed to compete at The All England Club this year.

The Wimbledon decision means that Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina won’t have a chance to comppte for the Wimbledon title this year. Some of the biggest tennis names come from Russia and the Kremlin said the tournament will “suffer” without Russian players.

“Once again they simply turn athletes into hostages to political prejudice, political intrigues,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov siad. “This is unacceptable. Taking into account that Russia is a very strong tennis country, our athletes are at the top of world rankings, the competition itself will suffer from their removal”.

Rublev accused Wimbledon of discrimination

Rublev didn’t hide his frustration after Wimbledon announced their decision, accusing them of a “complete discrimination against us.” “The reasons they (Wimbledon) gave us had no sense, they were illogical,” Rublev said.

“What is happening now is complete discrimination against us.” Rublev suggested if Wimbledon really wanted to do the right thing, they could have redirected their prize money to a humanitarian aid. “Banning Russian or Belarusian players….will not change anything,” added Rublev who said redirecting Wimbledon’s prize fund, which last year totalled £35 million ($45.6 million), would have a more positive effect.

“To give all the prize money to humanitarian help, to the families who are suffering, to the kids who are suffering, I think that would do something, at least a bit. “Tennis will, in that case, be the first and only sport who donates that amount of money and it will be Wimbledon so they will take all the glory.” Meanwhile, world No. 2 Medvedev has yet to address the Wimbledon decision.

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