However, Mazepin, who drove for Haas, and who reportedly accepted the condition, was dropped by his team anyway. Wimbledon apparently considered, and rejected, following Formula 1’s lead in offering Russian and Belarusian players the option of neutrality, as F1 did to Russian driver Nikita Mazepin at the start of the 2022 season.
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Other young American tennis stars, including Coco Gauff and Nicole Gibbs, use their social media platforms to speak out on racism, fairness and free speech.īriton Andy Murray’s grumpy on court persona belies his ardent off-court advocacy for feminism and women’s equality. Martina Navratilova, who has chastised Wimbledon for its Russian player ban, was outspoken for gay rights and, although no longer playing on the tour, fills her Twitter feed with progressive commentaries on a whole host of topical issues.Īt every round of the 2020 US Open Tennis championships, Naomi Osaka, a bi-racial player who represents Japan, wore a new mask bearing the name of a black victim of US police violence. Although he visited the country to see conditions for himself, he was opposed to tournaments being held there until apartheid ended. World number one Serbia’s Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon’s decision was a mistake because “when politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.” But that’s the wrong argument.Īthletes, like other celebrities, are in a powerful position to speak out on issues, and tennis players have been doing so for decades.Īrthur Ashe led the charge to boycott South Africa. Must they now be silenced? If so, we are doing Putin’s work for him. “I want peace in all the world, in all countries,” he said in a press conference before suffering a surprise loss in the third round to Frenchman Gael Monfils. He went on to win the title.ĭaniil Medvedev of Russia, currently the world’s second ranked player, also made a plea for peace prior to competing in a California tournament in March.
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After advancing to the final of the Dubai Championships in February, just a day after the Russian invasion began, Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev wrote “No War Please” in felt pen on a TV camera lens. In fact, it serves to gag those who might be brave enough to oppose Russia’s invasion. Barring a few tennis players from the elegant grass courts of England won’t change anything. Even extreme economic sanctions already in place seem not to have dissuaded him from his ruthless attacks on Ukrainian cities and their inhabitants. It’s been hailed as the correct decision by those who believe this action will in some way hurt Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
It’s discriminating against individuals for crimes committed by an autocratic leader who jails those who speak out against him. They would do well to heed their lately fading superstar, British racer Lewis Hamilton, and cross Saudi Arabia off their calendar as well.īut Wimbledon’s decision to ban individual Russian and Belarusian tennis players from their lofty Championships this summer is not mixing politics and sport. In fact, they just automatically do, whether we like not or not.įormula 1 was right to pull their Grand Prix out of Sochi, Russia, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. POLITICS and sport absolutely should mix.