Andrey Rublev responds to Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston comments that Russian players "need some potential assurances that they are not supporters of Putin" if they want to play at Wimbledon this summer
Saturday 19 March 2022 19:14, UK
Andrey Rublev believes sport and politics should not mix after MP Nigel Huddleston said Russian players may have to provide assurances they don't support Vladimir Putin if they want to play at Wimbledon.
Sports Minister Huddleston said on Tuesday that Russian players "need some potential assurances that they are not supporters of Putin".
Wimbledon organisers said they are having conversations with the Government about whether Russian tennis players should be allowed to compete at the tournament, which starts on June 27.
"I hope that in sport they will show there is no politics and we will be a good example to have a huge step forward."
Rublev, who needed only 90 minutes to defeat Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 7-5 6-2 for his 13th consecutive win to reach the semi-finals at BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Friday was thankful for the positive response after he wrote 'No War Please' message on a television camera moments after reaching the final of the Dubai Duty Free Championships in Doha last month.
But talking about sports minister Huddleston's comments, the world No 7 said: "I think we should show a great example that tennis should be outside of politics. Not tennis, but in general sport.
"We're athletes. We want to compete. We were sacrificing so many things. We don't see our family. Many of the athletes, they change home because of the conditions of the sport, they're doing basketball, football.
"If you go from one team to another, you move completely. I think that's the most important thing, that we were sacrificing a lot just to be able to compete, to show that we want to do our job, that's it.
"I think sport should be outside of politics because everyone say this, but in the end looks like still it's not happening. That's why I hope that in sport they will show there is no politics and we will be a good example to have a huge step forward."
WTA Chairman Steve Simon said the WTA would be forced to change its position if governments do not allow Russian and Belarusian players to enter countries as the organisation has to follow rules.
"I feel very strongly that these individual athletes should not be the ones that are being penalised by the decisions of an authoritarian leadership that is obviously doing terrible, reprehensible things," Simon said.
"But if that happens... it won't be something we support."
Rublev will face American Taylor Fritz, who sent Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic packing with a 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-1 win.
In the women's semi-finals, Maria Sakkari knocked out reigning champion Paula Badosa and will take on Iga Swiatek in the title decider after the world No 4 fought back from a break down in each set to overpower Simona Halep.
"I work my entire life to get to this, to the late stages of the tournaments. It means a lot to me," said Sakkari.
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