Banned from starting in Wimbledon: Critical Alexander Zverev feels with his buddy Rublev
Olympic champion Alexander Zverev reacted with incomprehension to the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian professionals from the tennis tournament in Wimbledon.
by SID
last edit: Apr 22, 2022, 11:09 pm
The topic is very close to Alexander Zverev, that was clearly noticeable. And to hear. The exclusion of the Russian and Belarusian professionals from the most important tennis tournament in the world caused a great deal of incomprehension for the German Olympic champion, not least because his Russian friend Andrey Rublev is affected. He sees "no reason", said Zverev on Friday, "why they shouldn't play in Wimbledon".
In order to avoid any misunderstandings, Zverev emphasized three days before the ATP tournament in Munich: He thinks it is "absolutely correct" if the warmongering national teams are excluded from competitions, for example in the Davis Cup or in football. "It's something against Russia, I can understand that. I think we're all against the war. What's happening in Ukraine is inhuman, it shouldn't happen."
Zverev finds single player exclusion "incorrect"
On the other hand, Zverev is rather critical of the "general" exclusion of individual players from Russia and Belarus: "I don't think that's correct." His brother and manager Mischa Zverev, who was nine years his senior, had assured Spiegel: "I don't know a single player who is for this war. But they are still being punished now. It won't bring anything positive."
The Zverevs are not alone in their opinion. World number one Novak Djokovic, for example, described the move by the independent All England Club as master of Wimbledon as "crazy". The professional tennis organizations WTA (women) and ATP (men) condemn the warmonger Russia "strongly", but consider the general exclusion of individual players to be "discriminatory" and "deeply disappointing".
Tennis icon Billie-Jean King, after whom the female counterpart of the Davis Cup is now named, has also reacted with clear criticism of the organizers of the most important of the four Grand Slams. She "cannot support" the fact that "individual athletes" are excluded from a tournament "just because of their nationality". The tennis family must stand together and focus on helping Ukraine.
Zverev: World rankings no longer make sense
But Wimbledon "does what it wants anyway," said Zverev on Friday, shrugging his shoulders. Last but not least, he is concerned with Rublev, "one of my closest friends". The night of the world rankings, Zverev explained after a conversation between the two, was "ready to make compromises, he is also ready to help Ukraine, he is ready to fight the war, he is ready to send his prize money to Ukraine".
Rublev called the All England Club's step on the sidelines of the tournament in Belgrade "complete discrimination" - an attitude that he also clarified in a conversation with those responsible there. In his position "and with all the pressure I'm under", he can't give any right answers, he said. Yes, an exclusion makes sense for him, even if it changes something about the war even minimally: "But it won't change anything."
At least something will change sportingly, as Zverev noted: If players like Daniil Medvedev or Rublev are not allowed to participate in Wimbledon or anywhere else, "the world rankings no longer make sense".