Anthony Farris
Videos by OutKick
Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 tennis player in the world, does not agree with Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the sport’s oldest Grand Slam.
“I think it is crazy,” Djokovic said yesterday at an ATP event.
Wimbledon’s decision was based on alleged ties between the Belarusian and Russian governments. This despite the fact that no known athletes – Russian or Belarusian – have spoken out in favor of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
"I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon. I think it is crazy."
– Novak Djokovic pic.twitter.com/xifN2hNkhf
— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) April 21, 2022
The biased decision not only struck a chord with Djokovic, but also with OutKick founder Clay Travis, who stated matter of factly: “I think Wimbledon got it wrong.
“I don’t believe you should hold individual athletes who are representing themselves primarily, not their countries,” Clay elaborated. “… I don’t believe you should hold individual athletes responsible for the choices their country makes.”
Djokovic echoed similar thoughts Wednesday, suggesting that politics and sports shouldn’t mix.
“The players, the tennis players, the athletes have nothing to do with (the Russia-Ukraine war). When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good,” added Djokovic.
Because of the largely unpopular ban on Russians and Belarusians, Djokovic’s top rival, Daniil Medvedev — the No. 2 men’s player in the world — will be amongst those prohibited from participating, through no fault of his own.
“I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war,” Djokovic insisted. “I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia, we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans, we have had many wars in recent history.
“However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy.”
Point, Djokovic.
Follow along on Twitter: @OhioAF
One of the few professional athletes who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and live by his beliefs.
Yep. I wonder if Woke Wimbledon will allow Novak to play since he is not vaxxed.
Chinese Olympics: “You can’t punish the athletes for political reasons”
Russian athletes: “Virtue signaling demands that we must ban them. Have you seen my Ukrainian flag avatar?”
Woke politics is idiocracy. Pass the Brawndo
Would love to see Djokovik skip Wimbledon and livestream a friendly with Medvedev on Wimbledon Sunday.
Isn’t it interesting how the whole ‘global village’ idea has disintegrated when the left decides it? Now apparently individuals are responsible for the actions of dictators! If they aren’t being persecuted and stopped from working by idiotic sporting administrators like Wimbeldon, or Djokovic being persecuted and deported 2 months ago for being unvaxxed and a ‘threat’ to Andrews vaccinated Victorian economy, in Australia (Now able to go about their lives unvaxxed, even with 15,000 cases a day!), it’s hypocrite blackface dictator Trudeau destroying Canadian truckers lives because they want to work just as they did before Pfizer paid Justin millions to force a bax that doesn’t stop transmission!
Some global village………..who are the village idiots though, those that force controls, or those who stand by and accept them?
Like the idea of live stream match up between joker & medvedev, Wimbledon has lost their mind