Andrey Rublev spoke about the decision to strip Wimbledon of its points, and the Russian player emphasized that it is important that professional sports and its governing bodies show unity.
Rublev is just one high-profile player who will not be able to compete at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The ATP number seven plays under the Russian flag, and organizers at the All England Club decided that it would ban players from this nation and Belarus for the 2022 tournament.
This decision follows the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, and the All England Club joins other professional sporting bodies in banning competitors and teams from Russia and Belarus.
Alongside Rublev, other ATP players like Danill Medvedev won't be able to compete at SW19, while WTA competitors Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka will also be banned.
Ultimately, the decision led to a firm response from the ATP, who revealed that players at Wimbledon 2022 would not receive any ranking points. The ruling has been met with divided views from players throughout tennis, with some feeling it's fair, while others believe it will deter the best competitors from playing.
When reflecting on the topic, Rublev first stated that Wimbledon organisers had no right to implement the Russian and Belarusian ban in the first place. This is an issue that the 23-year-old feels strongly about at present.
"I will be honest. Wimbledon, they break agreement with ATP. That's the first thing. You have a deal you can not break it and they did it."
Rublev has only played at Wimbledon three times throughout his career, and his best-ever performance at the grass-court Grand Slam came last season. The Russian player progressed to the final 16 at SW19 before he was eliminated by Hungarian opponent Marton Fucsovics.
However, it is looking increasingly unlikely that Rublev or any of his Russian compatriots will be able to return to Wimbledon in 2022. While he may be disappointed, Rublev also stated that he backed the ATP's decision to remove the points this season and called for more togetherness between players, organizations, and tournaments.
"I think it's more to show that tournaments can not do whatever they want. It's about teamwork. Tennis is a sport, in my opinion, where tournaments need to work together. Players need to work together. When we have a toxic relationship like now, only the bad things can happen."