Daniil Medvedev could be banned from Wimbledon unless he denounces Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Nigel Huddleston, the United Kingdom’s government’s sport, tourism and heritage minister, has suggested that he will seek “assurance” from Medvedev and other Russian tennis players that they do not support their country’s regime.
Putin launched an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine last month.
The ATP and WTA tours have since banned players from Russia and Belarus, a close ally, from competing under their flags, enabling them to play only as neutral athletes.
Huddleston has suggested that the government are currently considering what extra assurances they may need to permit them to play at the summer grass court showpiece, and is in touch with tournament organisers, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).
“Absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled,” Huddleston told a select committee meeting on Tuesday.
“We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines.”
Medvedev won his first Grand Slam at the US Open last year and reached the final of January’s Australian Open.
He has recently usurped Novak Djokovic as the world’s top-ranked male player, but has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.
The 26-year-old said of the invasion earlier in March: “My message is always the same - I want peace in all of the world.”
Steve Simon, the chair and chief executive of the WTA, has since stated that he does not believe it would be right to bar players from Russia for the actions of their government.
Simon told the BBC: “You never know what the future may bring, but I can tell you that we have never banned athletes from participating on our tour as the result of political positions their leadership may take.“So it would take something very significant for that to change, but again we don’t know where this is going.
“I feel very strongly that these individual athletes should not be the ones that are being penalised by the decisions of an authoritarian leadership that is obviously doing terrible, reprehensible things.”
