Andy Murray believes the debate concerning Wimbledon’s decision to reverse their ban on Russian and Belarussian players participating should not overshadow the focus on how Ukranian players are being supported.
Recently the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) confirmed their ban implemented in 2022 would be lifted following pressure from tennis’ governing bodies. Last year the UK became the only country to prohibit Russian players from taking part in tennis events due to the war in Ukraine and concerns the Russian government could use those events as propaganda. However, both the WTA and ATP opposed the move before later issuing fines.
Murray, who is a member of the AELTC, has branded the reversal as a ‘difficult decision’ during an interview with Tennis Majors. The former world No.1 says they were left with little choice due to the lack of support they have received from others within the sport. A view that was also recently expressed by the Chief Executive of the Ukrainian Tennis Federation, Evgeniy Zukin, during an interview with Ubitennis.
“It’s a difficult decision for Wimbledon,” he said. “Obviously the rest of the sport had gone in a completely different direction to them, which made it very hard. But I don’t think this should be so much about that decision. I think it is distracting a little bit from actually what is taking place. You don’t want that to happen. You want the actual issue to be at the forefront of all of these discussions.”
Last season Murray donated all of his prize money to humanitarian causes linked to supporting those affected by the Ukraine war which amounted to more than £630,000. He won the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in recognition of his support for the cause.
“Obviously I have sympathy for the Ukrainian players,” Murray continued. “I’ve seen that some of the female players have spoken out about how difficult they found it and maybe felt like they could have had more support as well through that.‘
“You need to understand their perspective as well, and not just the players that weren’t allowed to play last year. There are Ukrainian players on the tour whose families and everything (are affected) and they’re going through unbelievably difficult times as well. And that’s what’s important.”
Some Ukrainian players have previously raised concerns about the level of support they are receiving within the sport, particularly on the WTA Tour. WTA CEO Steve Simon was criticized by Leisa Tsurenko for suggesting that players shouldn’t get upset if others support the war as it is their own opinion before adding that he believes Russia would be allowed to play in the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina described their management of the situation as ‘useless’ during an interview with L’Equipe.
“We think that the ATP and WTA could have done more to support Ukrainian players. I know our female players are not happy with the treatment the WTA is giving them. From our side, we are not happy that professional tours – both the WTA and ATP – have a firm stance on accepting Russians (on their Tour) under a neutral flag,” Zukin told Ubitennis.
The WTA, as well as the other governing bodies, have previously said they are doing as much as they can to support players from the war-affected country.
This year’s Wimbledon Championships will begin on July 3rd. Elena Rybakina and Novak Djokovic are the defending champions.
