Tennis chiefs at Wimbledon on Wednesday banned Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 tournament in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which runs the third Grand Slam tournament of the season, said they were acting to limit Russia's global influence through the strongest means possible.
The ban will affect the top 10 men's stars Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev as well as the world number 26 Karen Khachanov.
Belarusian female world number four Aryna Sabalenka and the former world number one Victoria Azarenka will also be barred from the world's most prestigious grass court tournament.
"In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players," an AELTC statement said.
Regret
"It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to Wimbledon."
The Lawn Tennis Association has also banned Russian or Belarusian players from competing in British grass-court tournaments in the prelude to Wimbledon, which runs between 27 June and 10 July.
Russian and Belarusian players will be able to take part in the season's second Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, which starts in May.
"Given the profile of The Championships in the United Kingdom and around the world, it is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts of government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia's global influence through the strongest means possible," said the AELTC statement.
Just after the Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered his country's forces into Ukraine on 24 February, Rublev showed his feelings towards the move after a win at the Dubai Open.
Andrey Rublev with a poignant message: pic.twitter.com/W4b35eEyxb
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) February 25, 2022
Medvedev, who is off the circuit recovering from surgery on a hernia, said just after a ban was mooted: "It's basically impossible to ignore it [the conflict], but I always said everybody has different opinions on different things in the world. I always said I'm for peace."
