Nick Kyrgios has finally spoken out about the absence of Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and the Australian firmly disagrees with the ruling.
Kyrgios could be one of the biggest favorites to win the 2022 Wimbledon after he made a strong start on the grass at the Halle Open two weeks ago. The Australian raced to the semi-finals at the German tournament before losing to Hubert Hurkacz in a long-lasting three-set clash.
However, some of Kyrgios' high-profile ATP colleagues will not be able to challenge at the upcoming Wimbledon finals this year. In April, the All England Club organizers decided to ban players from Russia and Belarus, leading to divides throughout tennis, with some calling the move unfair.
Kyrgios was asked about the absence of some of his colleagues and joined those who oppose Wimbledon's decision this season. Overall, the 27-year-old feels the top players should have a platform to perform at the major competitions, and he thinks young players like Karen Khachanov benefit from playing Grand Slam tennis.
"My honest opinions is that I don't think it was a good idea to ban Russian players. I think Medvedev is the best we have in our sport right now and there are some good other players like Rublev and Khachanov and they are important young players for our sport to continue to grow."
Kyrgios was perhaps speaking from experience, especially when mentioning the impact on younger players having the chance to play at Wimbledon. In 2014, aged just 19, the Australian gained a wildcard entry to the All England Club and reached the quarter-finals on his first-ever appearance in the English major.
Moreover, not having the world's best players competing at Wimbledon, especially after the ATP decided to remove points from the event, was a major concern for some players and pundits.
This is an issue that Kyrgios agrees with as he feels all of the Grand Slam competitions gain something extra in terms of entertainment by having the best players available to compete. In particular, he believes Medvedev's absence will certainly be felt at the 2022 tournament.
"I think whenever we have cameras on and a lot people tuning in, we want our best players to be on the showcase for the sport to grow. Me personally as a competitor, I'm disappointed that they are not here. It's weird not seeing Medvedev here, because we all know what he's capable of."