Wimbledon ban ‘complete discrimination and illogical’, says Russia’s Rublev

World number eight Andrey Rublev on Thursday slammed Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players as “complete discrimination,” suggesting that the tournament’s multi-million dollar prize fund be donated to conflict victims instead.

“The reasons they (Wimbledon) gave us had no sense, they were illogical,” said Rublev on the sidelines of the Belgrade ATP event.

“What is happening now is complete discrimination against us.”

In response to the invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon on Wednesday barred all Russian and Belarusian players from competing in this year’s Grand Slam event.

Rublev, as well as compatriot and world number two Daniil Medvedev and women’s fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, will miss the tournament, which runs from June 27 to July 10.

“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.”

US tennis legend Billie Jean King, a founder of the WTA in 1973, said she “cannot support” the Wimbledon decision.

“One of the guiding principles of the founding of the WTA was that any girl in the world, if she was good enough, would have a place to compete,” said the six-time Wimbledon champion.

“I stood by that in 1973 and I stand by that today. I cannot support the banning of individual athletes from any tournament, simply because of their nationality.”

Rublev’s plea for the event’s millions of cash to be donated to humanitarian relief in Ukraine was backed by Australian John Millman, the world number 80.

“When I qualified at Wimbledon for the 1st time I asked for two extra ground passes so family could watch – I was told to line up in the queue,” the 32-year-old tweeted Thursday.

“Money means everything there, if you’re going to ban athletes then also give all your profits in aid. Then we’d know you’re serious.”

‘Speak out’

Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina, Ukraine’s best female player, said on Thursday that Russian and Belarusian players who speak out against the invasion “should be permitted” to compete at Wimbledon.

“We don’t want them banned completely,” former world number three Svitolina, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2019, told the BBC.

“If players don’t speak out against the Russian government then it is the right thing to ban them.”

“We just want them to speak up, if they are with us and the rest of the world or the Russian government. This is for me the main point. If they didn’t choose, they didn’t vote for this government, then it’s fair they should be allowed to play and compete.”

Rublev scrawled “No war please” on a courtside TV camera after winning the Dubai tournament in February.

Novak Djokovic, the world number one, also slammed Wimbledon’s “crazy” choice.

“The players, the tennis players, the athletes have nothing to do with it (war). When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good,” Djokovic had said Wednesday.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which hosts Wimbledon, claimed it was taking steps to “restrict Russia’s worldwide influence by any means necessary.”

The ATP and WTA, on the other hand, have slammed the ban, calling it “unfair” and “disappointing.”

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