It has been turbulent times for World Number 2, Daniil Medvedev. Things have not been going his way after clinching the World Number 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic. He had to surrender the top spot shortly after, owing to his disastrous Indian Wells campaign.
In another disappointing news for him, the reigning US Open champion is set to miss this year’s Wimbledon. In a sensational turn of events, Russian tennis players will be barred from competing at Wimbledon in June. This comes as a huge blow to Medvedev, who was looking to regain the top spot from Djokovic.
NEWS: Russian tennis players will be barred from competing at Wimbledon in June, a decision that will prevent current world No. 2 @DaniilMedwed from playing in the season’s third Grand Slam.https://t.co/fkcOfMXkHg
— Sportico (@Sportico) April 19, 2022
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Further, as Eastern Europe is grappling with rising tensions, many saw this decision coming. It will affect the top players in the world like Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and others.
Earlier, the governing bodies of tennis had banned the Russian athletes from team competitions like the Davis Cup, and the Billie Jean King Cup. However, they allowed them to participate in individual tournaments under a neutral flag.
Difficult times for Daniil Medvedev
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Medvedev was a player to watch out for this season after his US Open exploits last season. At the Australian Open this year, he suffered a heart-breaking loss to Rafael Nadal in the finals. Medvedev was two sets up against the Spaniard. However, he couldn’t capitalize on the lead and finished runner-up in the tournament.
Subsequently, a semifinal finish in Acapulco was enough for him to topple Djokovic to the top spot in the ATP rankings. However, he had a third-round exit at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. This resulted in Djokovic reclaiming the Number 1 ranking. Further, he had a disappointing run in Miami too, where he lost in the quarterfinals against Hubert Hurkacz.
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Recently, Medvedev underwent surgery on a hernia. It has resulted in him missing the Monte Carlo Masters. Furthermore, he is also in doubt for the French Open. With the latest Wimbledon setback, it has resulted in a huge blow for him, at a time when he was looking to rule men’s tennis.