Kvitova opposes Wimbledon decision to allow Russian return

Two-times Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova said she opposed the All England Club's determination to let Russian and Belarusian players to vie astatine this year's tournament.

Wimbledon past twelvemonth banned players from Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus aft the penetration of Ukraine and the Lawn Tennis Association besides barred players from different events successful the United Kingdom.

However, competitors from the 2 countries volition beryllium capable to participate the Grand Slam successful July if they vie arsenic "neutral" athletes and comply with definite conditions.

"First of all, for definite I'm ever staying against the war. For sure, I'm conscionable much disquieted astir the Ukrainian radical and players," Kvitova told reporters aft winning her Miami Open semi-final against Sorana Cirstea.

"I admit that Wimbledon had a pugnacious clip past twelvemonth not giving the points (after) the Russian and Belarusian didn't play.

"I deliberation they shouldn't beryllium allowed actually. In my opinion, (n)either to the Olympics. So I'm conscionable a small spot connected the Ukrainian broadside of this," she said.

Kvitova said she was peculiarly acrophobic astir Russian and Belarusian engagement successful the Olympic Games.

"Not successful the Olympics for sure, due to the fact that I consciousness the Olympic Games are due to the fact that we don't privation warfare successful the world. So that's my concern. I americium truly appreciating that Wimbledon didn't instrumentality them past year," she said.

Kvitova said that she and different players had not been consulted astir the Wimbledon determination and the contented had not been discussed successful the locker-room.

The All England Club, which runs Wimbledon, said the determination was made aft talks with the UK government, Britain's governing Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and planetary tennis bodies.

The men's ATP circuit and women's WTA circuit – who denied satellite ranking points for Wimbledon past twelvemonth due to the fact that of the prohibition connected Russian and Belarusian players – welcomed the Wimbledon determination but Ukraine's overseas curate Dmytro Kuleba condemned the determination arsenic "immoral".