"We offered solutions that could be helpful diplomatically: playing mixed doubles with Ukrainians or not coming for medals; we wanted to show there is no war in tennis" - Andrey Rublev on Wimbledon ban
Andrey Rublev is one of the many Russians who was denied entry into Wimbledon this year due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He recently revealed that he and his fellow players did everything possible to ensure that wouldn't be the case.
This included playing mixed doubles with the Ukrainians to show that they were united against the war without question. Unfortunately, all the solutions they came up with only fell on deaf ears.
The World No. 8 recently gave an interview with Russian blogger Vitya Kravchenko on his YouTube channel. He remarked that their idea was to show the world that there was no place for war in tennis using a global stage like Wimbledon.
"We offered some solutions that could be really helpful diplomatically. Playing mixed doubles with Ukrainian players, not playing for the prize. We wanted to show there's no war in tennis"
Rublev talks about negotiation between Wimbledon, ATP & Russian players. https://t.co/PhkdRB7GQw
According to Rublev, he and other Russian and Belarusian players were ready to even refrain from attending the presentation ceremony if it came to that. This is because the underlying message of peace was their ultimate goal.
"We offered some solutions that could be really helpful diplomatically - playing in mixed doubles with Ukrainians or not coming for the medals," Rublev said. "We wanted to use the platform of a championship to show that we don't fight here, that there is no war in tennis. It's most important now."
Understandably, therefore, the 24-year-old was extremely upset about the decision made by the All-England Club. He stated that it was "upsetting" to see his dreams shatter due to circumstances outside his control.
"Everyone is working as hard as possible and attending other tournaments just to get to the four Grand Slams and show their best. Of course, I was frustrated when I found out about the suspension," Andrey Rublev said. "Everything I earn, I invest in my career and then I am forbidden from doing my work. It is upsetting for sure."
Andrey Rublev offered to play mixed doubles partnering with a Ukrainian player to show he’s for peace and unity and in return they treated him like dirt 😵💫
The former World No. 5 had in fact condemned the war in the weeks preceding Wimbledon. He even went as far as to write "no war please" on the cameras as a victory message.
The Russian couldn't understand the reasoning behind the tournament organizers saying his government would use them as propaganda if they ended up with their hands on the trophy.
"As a tennis player, I could deliver the right message from the court but I kept getting the same answer: The Russian government is going to use our results for propaganda," Andrey Rublev said. "So whatever I'd say, the answer was, and is, the same. I couldn't understand why they say so."
"I probably should have changed my citizenship to get there, that would have been acceptable to them" - Andrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev further pointed out Wimbledon's hypocrisy in the interview. He remarked that they would have been perfectly fine letting him play if he had volunteered to change his citizenship to some other country.
Rublev on the players' from Russia / Belarus ban amid the war against Ukraine: We offered Wimbledon [that we could] play doubles or mixed doubles with a Ukrainian player.
Also says change of citizenship, in case there will be a full ban, is "one of the solutions" for him. https://t.co/OWgobsCLkm
The Russian was not on-board with the idea, but he sadly noted that he wouldn't have had any other option. He stated that he would've had to go through with that plan if he had been banned from all tournaments on the ATP Tour.
"Speaking of Wimbledon, I probably should have changed my citizenship to get there. That would have been acceptable to them," Andrey Rublev said. "If we'd get completely banned from all tournaments and I wanted to keep my career going, it could have been one of the ways."
The World No. 8 is the reigning champion in Olympic mixed doubles at the moment. However, he is also not allowed to play in the tournament as things stand, another decision that pains him to no end.
Rublev also recalled how winning the event alongside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova made him feel like he was "on top of the world." The 24-year-old hopes the situation reverses soon before the 2024 edition in Paris.
"I still hope to play in the Olympics again in the future. I really wish. And yes, I am insanely happy to have played and won the Olympic gold," Andrey Rublev said. "When it happened, I felt on top of the world."