Banning Russian and Belarusian players from this year's Wimbledon championships was the only viable option under the guidance provided by the British government, the organizers of the grass-court Grand Slam said on Tuesday.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) took the decision in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the stand was swiftly condemned by the men's and women's tours.
AELTC Chairman Ian Hewitt said the government guidance did not allow players to compete at the tournament based on their rankings and there were two available options — declining entries, or allowing entries but only with specific written declarations from individual players.