Andrey Rublev is not in favor of yet another Wimbledon ban, as he explained that such a move would be the worst possible for tennis.
Rublev is very biased on this matter for the simple reason that he was affected by the ban. The Russian was probably the most vocal Russian player wanting to overturn the ban last year, as he often spoke about how it didn’t make any sense.
It was clear that not being able to play at the event affected him deeply. He wasn’t the only one, but he was one of the most vocal ones sharing his thoughts on the matter.
The Russian is hoping that the same ban won't happen in 2023. There are some indications that it could, even though it’s highly unlikely after the fallout of last year’s ban.
Last year, the event organizers didn't allow the Russian and Belarusian players to compete, but being stripped of the points was a clear warning by the ATP and WTA not to do it again.
As for Rublev, his stance hasn’t changed, and he thinks that another ban would be bad for tennis overall.
"If they ban us for the second year, we will see no changes, and it will be worse for tennis. Only we make more fire in the tennis. And it doesn’t help the situation. We are offering help in any direction that is possible. We want to show that tennis can be bigger than politics."
Rublev also added that the ATP did a good job of being the voice of Russian players at that time and trying to help.
"We had a meeting with the Grand Slams and the ATP. It’s really good that ATP is more open to help everyone. We were very honest, giving a lot of options, and many ways to help."
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