Novak Djokovic slams 'crazy' Wimbledon ban on Russian, Belarusian players

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World number one Novak Djokovic says Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is "crazy".

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Wimbledon announced on Wednesday that it had barred all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's championships due to the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation".

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The grasscourt grand slam is the first tennis tournament to ban individual competitors from the two countries,

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Daniil Medvedev from Russia and women's fourth-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will be banned from the 27 June - 10 July tournament.

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Djokovic, who grew up in war-torn Serbia, said the athletes had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.

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"I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war," Djokovic told reporters at the Serbia Open, an ATP 250 event in Belgrade.

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"I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans we have had many wars in recent history.

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