Djokovic: Wimbledon ban on Russian, Belarusian players ‘crazy’

Twenty-time Grand Slam tennis champion Novak Djokovic blasted Wimbledon after the championships banned Russian and Belarusian players from participating in the tournament due to their country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Organizers of the tournament said Wednesday that “it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships” and banned the individuals. 

Djokovic, who is Serbian, experienced airstrikes on his native country by NATO. At the time, the organization was trying to halt atrocities committed by Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic’s troops against ethnic Albanians, according to CNN.

The tennis champion called Wimbledon’s decision crazy, stating that when politics interferes in sport, the result is “not good.”

“I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia, we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans, we have had many wars in recent history,” he said. “However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy. When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good.”

Several major sports organizations have moved to ban Russian and Belarusian participation including FIFA, as a condemnation for their attack on Ukraine. 

“I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war,” Djokovic continued in his remarks, Reuters reported. 

The Grand Slam tournament will take place June 27 through July 10, with Wimbledon saying they will respond accordingly if the situation between Ukraine and Russia changes in that timeframe. 

Djokovic is one of the world’s best tennis players and has been a lightning rod of controversy in the past year due to his refusal to get the coronavirus vaccine.