The organizers of one of the most prestigious Grand Slam tournaments made such a decision against the backdrop of a full-scale war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine.

According to Hewitt, the organizers of Wimbledon made the most responsible decision, because they had no alternative. If Russians and Belarusians were allowed to participate in the competition, then this could be used in favor of the Russian propaganda machine, which is absolutely unacceptable.

" More than 140 countries around the world condemned the Russian invasion and the catastrophic damage inflicted on millions of lives in Ukraine. Government, industry, sports and creative institutions play their part in trying to limit Russia's global influence, including any gain from trade, cultural or sporting displays of power..

The UK government has set out guidelines that specifically aim to limit Russia's influence. We have taken this into account. To be clear, it does not allow you to automatically log into Wimbledon based on your rank alone..

After careful consideration of many factors, we came to two hard conclusions that formed the basis of our decision.. Firstly, even if we accepted applications from Russian and Belarusian players, we would risk that their success or participation at Wimbledon was used in favor of the Russian regime's propaganda machine, which we could not agree with.

Secondly, we have an obligation to ensure that no actions we take endanger the safety or well-being of players or their families..

We understand and deeply regret how this decision will affect everyone affected - and so many innocent people are suffering as a result of this terrible war..

We believe we have made the most responsible decision possible under the circumstances.. We did not have a reasonable alternative in accordance with the position voiced by the government,"

Earlier, TSN Prosport reported that the legendary British tennis player Andrew Castle supported the Wimbledon-2022 decision to suspend Russian and Belarusian tennis players..