Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, spoke out against the war in Ukraine on Sunday, calling it “very upsetting.”
Medvedev, who is banned from playing at Wimbledon along with other Russians, made the comment while speaking to reporters at the Geneva Open on Sunday.
“I had some time to follow what is happening. Yeah, it’s very upsetting,” Medvedev said.
The former world No. 1 player has been out for five weeks recovering from hernia surgery.
As one of the best Russian athletes in the world, many looked to Medvedev to publicly condemn his country’s invasion of Ukraine as well as President Vladimir Putin. In February, Medvedev said he wanted “peace in all of the world but didn’t comment specifically on the war.
While many sports banned Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes from international events, the ATP and WTA tours have allowed those players to compete, just not under their country’s flag. But Wimbledon three weeks ago announced that Russian players would instead be banned from competing.
Medvedev hopes the ban will be lifted before the tournament begins on June 27. He reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon last year.
“If I can play, I’m going to be happy to play at Wimbledon. I love this tournament,” he said.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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