Murray has weighed in after Wimbledon confirmed that Russian and Belarusian players would be allowed to return and compete as neutrals this year after being banned in 2022. The 35-year-old has previously been vocal in his support for Ukraine, donating his prize money to relief efforts in the country last season.
And the world No 54 hit the nail on the head as he addressed the All England Club’s decision, claiming that people had been distracted from the “actual issue” – the war in Ukraine. “I knew kind of ahead of time that that was sort of how it was going,” Murray told Tennis Majors, discussing Wimbledon’s announcement.
“I think what’s really important is to continue to talk about what’s actually happening in Ukraine just now, not focusing on a few tennis players and a few athletes who may or may not be able to play major sporting events.”
Wimbledon had its ranking points stripped by the ATP and WTA last year in response to the ban, while the Lawn Tennis Association also followed suit in barring players from the two nations. But both made a U-turn in 2023, with the two tours threatening the LTA with heavy sanctions if the ban continued, believing it to be a form of discrimination.
But Murray claimed that many had gotten caught up in the sanctions Russians were facing instead of the struggles Ukrainian players and their families were living through. He continued: “It’s a difficult decision for Wimbledon.
“Obviously the rest of the sport had gone in a completely different direction to them, which made it very hard. But I don’t think this should be so much about that decision. I think it is distracting a little bit from actually what is taking place. You don’t want that to happen. You want the actual issue to be at the forefront of all of these discussions.”
Ukrainian stars like former world No 3 Elina Svitolina have been vocal in their disappointment with the ATP and WTA Tour responses, with Lesia Tsurenko citing “panic attacks” when she withdrew from an Indian Wells match against Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka. Murray showed his compassion for the Ukrainian players, adding: “Obviously I have sympathy for the Ukrainian players.
“I’ve seen that some of the female players have spoken out about how difficult they found it and maybe felt like they could have had more support as well through that. You need to understand their perspective as well, and not just the players that weren’t allowed to play last year. There are Ukrainian players on the tour whose families and everything (are affected) and they’re going through unbelievably difficult times as well. And that’s what’s important.”
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