?Some of Our Top Players Are..?- American Tennis Legend John McEnroe Blasts Wimbledon for Their Harsh Decision on Russian and Belarusian Players Last Year

The Ukraine war has been affecting tennis for some time now. Wimbledon banned some players and a few players took political stances over the conflict. Some players made known their pacifist stances, whereas a few like Elina Svitolina actively participated in speaking against the war. Outspoken Eurosport analyst John McEnroe too expressed his views about Wimbledon’s ban on Russian players in the past.

People know John McEnroe for his emotional outbursts as a player. Someone who recently criticized French crowds for booing Novak Djokovic unjustifiably spoke about various aspects of player bans. He suggested why the decision by Wimbledon in 2022 was ill-conceived and unreasonable.

John McEnroe on ?non-pragmatic? player ban by Wimbledon

The former American tennis player criticized Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players. He said, ?I thought it was a mistake last year not to [include players from Russia and Belarus]. Obviously, it?s a very complex issue for obvious reasons, but we happen to be in a sport where some of our top players are Russian.” Belarus supports the Russian war in Ukraine. Hence, Wimbledon barred Belarusian players too from participation.

Because of the ban, some top players like Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka and Russian player Daniil Medvedev couldn?t participate. Also, male players like Rublev, Karen Khachanov,? Ilya Ivashka, and Aslan Karatsev didn’t participate as well. The ban affected other female players like Daria Kasatkina Ludmilla Samsonova, Veronika Kudermetova,? Victoria Azarenka, and Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Due to Sabalenka’s absence, as experts point out, Russian-born Kazakh star Elena Rybakina won the competition. McEnroe highlighted, while speaking to The Sun, that Rybakina?s parents live in Russia, yet officials granted her permission to participate. Kazakh government sponsored Rybakina and hence she got a chance to participate.

McEnroe further commented that players were unjustly targeted. He said, ?It would seem that most if not all of them absolutely have nothing to do with it [the war].?

Read More: Bluntly Refusing to Apologize, John McEnroe Fueled Further Controversy With a Bizarre Solution to Endless Serena Williams Debate in 2017

Despite several players condemned the war, yet after the ban was lifted, some players continued to face visa issues.

War neutrality and the delayed visa issues of the banned players

Wimbledon lifted the ban on the Russian and Belarusian players on the condition of staying neutral. They had to agree to desist from supporting Russian and Belarusian leaders. But players like Aryna Sabalenka went a step further to even condemn the war. In a press conference during the French Open, Sabalenka reiterated that she had condemned the war earlier. Also, she commented, ?I said it many times already. I?m not supporting war. Just want to be a tennis player.”

Despite condemnations and ban lifts, the Russian and Belarusian players didn?t get a visa on time. Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, and Daniil Medvedev publicly stated about the Visa delays. However, once they got it, they expressed happiness and excitement. While John McEnroe commented on the practical implications of player bans, this year all those players will make Wimbledon even more exciting.

Do you think McEnroe is right about sports-politics divorce? Let us know in the comments.

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