Nadal Says Wimbledon Ban on Russian and Belarusian Players Unfair

Nadal Says Wimbledon Ban on Russian and Belarusian Players Unfair
Tennis player Rafael Nadal acknowledges the fans after taking the honorary kick-off prior to the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and RCD Espanyol at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, on April 30, 2022. Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
|Updated:

Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal has labeled the ban on Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s Wimbledon over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as unfair, saying they are not responsible for the war.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has barred the two countries’ players from competing at this year’s grasscourt major in response to what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Belarus has been a key staging area for the invasion.