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The decision by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (ALETC) to ban Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon and all UK grass-court tournaments is downright ridiculous and might I daresay unfair to the athletes. It is, as far as I can see, an act of political cowardice. A low-hanging fruit moment.
So why is ALETC punching down? They claim it is to limit Russia’s global influence. They also claim that Russia might benefit from Russians competing at Wimbledon. Maybe the latter point is correct as far as ego-boosting is concerned. Let’s be honest, if a Russian or even a Belarusian were to make the finals let alone win, this would be used as propaganda by said governments.
That said, banning players will not make a difference in the outcome of the conflict. So what is the real motive seeing that no one is buying the explanation given by ALETC?
They are clutching at that proverbial straw. They cannot touch Putin. In fact, it seems as if Russia has won the war so all these people can do is be vindictive.
As a huge tennis fan, I cannot begin to express how disappointed I am. From vaccine mandates to banning people for things they have no power over, it is obvious that these people are wrecking the sport to get their way.
