World number eight
Andrey Rublev blasted
Wimbledon's ban on Russian and Belarusian players as "complete discrimination".
Andrey Rublev became the first high-profile player that is affected by the ban to officially comment on it as the Russian was asked about it prior to his match at the Serbia Open in Belgrade. Rublev was open about his dissatisfaction saying:
"The reasons they (Wimbledon) gave us had no sense, they were
illogical. What is happening now is complete discrimination against us."
Wimbledon on Wednesday banned all Russian and Belarusian players from taking part in this year's Grand Slam event in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
He further said:
"Banning Russian or Belarusian players....will not change anything. 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 donate that amount of money and it will be
Wimbledon so they will take all the glory."
Rublev is not the only player that criticized the move as Novak Djokovic also publicly slammed the decision as did Martina Navratilova.