Djokovic Added: After Backlash, Wimbledon Changes Controversial Poster

The power of social media proved itself once more as Novak Djokovic was added to the promotional posters for this year's Wimbledon, following heavy backlash on social media.

Djokovic was excluded from Wimbledon's promotional material this year. Essentially, the only promotional material that included the seven-time champion was a video that barely showed him.

The posters didn't feature him at all, with the accompanying statement leaving him off as well. To be fair, Elena Rybakina, as the defending champion, was also barely featured.

It left many fans dumbfounded, especially since the player left out was Djokovic, who had won the event seven times, including four times in the last four editions.

Djokovic's absence from the promotional material quickly made the rounds on social media, and now, new promotional posters have been created that include both Djokovic and Rybakina, with the tournament choosing it as their header photo on their official Twitter account.

Posters like the one Wimbledon made generally feature the defending champions, so it made very little sense to actually have posters with retired players but not those that managed to lift the trophy last year.

Some fans even speculated whether it was on purpose. There have been long-time speculations about the anti-Djokovic sentiment in the United Kingdom generally and at Wimbledon.

The reason for Rybakina's initial absence from the promotional material has also been discussed. The Kazakhstani player won last year's Wimbledon edition when Russian and Belarusian players were unable to compete, but paradoxically, she is ethnically Russian.

Although she plays for Kazakhstan and is publicly against the war in Ukraine, Rybakina is still ethnically Russian. The United Kingdom supports Ukraine during this conflict, with last year's ban only reluctantly lifted.

It happened due to threats of huge fines from the ATP and WTA. It's the same reason why Russian player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova laughed off a question about receiving a wild card at Wimbledon.