Wimbledon chief Ian Hewitt has explained the process behind Wimbledon deciding to ban Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s tournament.
During the All England Club's spring briefing, he explained the role of the UK Government during the decision and as a result of their guidance, the All-England Club were left with “no viable alternative” but to enforce a ban.
"The UK Government has set out directive guidance for sporting bodies and events in the UK with the specific aim of limiting Russia's influence,” he began. "We have considered at length the options available. These are in effect two options: declining entries or allowing entries but only with specific declarations (against the invasion of Ukraine ) from individual players.
