Victoria Azarenka has questioned Wimbledon organizers' decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from entering the 2022 Championships.
Last week, the All England Club and the Committee of Management of The Championships announced that players from Russia and Belarus would not be able to compete at this year's competition.
The decision follows the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has been met with opposition across tennis and other professional sports. However, Azarenka, who plays under the Belarusian flag, has opposed the All England Club's decision and stated that organizers have not been consistent in their reasoning for the ban.
The former WTA world number one spoke out about the ruling at the Madrid Open this week.
"If you are asking me if I agree with Wimbledon or I see their reasoning after being on a personal call with them, I don’t see their reasoning. It does not make sense and it does not connect to what they are saying."
In response to her initial answer, reporters asked Azarenka if she would take any personal action against the ban. However, she was less outspoken and explained that it is the responsibility of her federation to take any further action regarding the decision.
Although the 2011 and 2012 Wimbledon semi-finalist did take the chance to outline her opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the issue has been a source of some controversy among the WTA and ATP players throughout the 2022 campaign, with several players criticizing Russia's actions.
"I think there should be a reaction to that, that is all I want to say. I have made my stance very clear on the issue. I will never, ever support war. I will never support violence. I will never find any justifications for that. That is all I can say right now."
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