Wimbledon is braced for the possibility of a politically-charged final as top players from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine remain in contention at the Championships.
Ukrainian wildcard Elina Svitolina is enjoying a stunning comeback run at the tournament after defeating top seed Iga Swiatek on Centre Court to reach the semi-finals, with Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus looking strong on the other side of the draw.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, the third seed, is also having his best run at the tournament and is through to the semi-finals for the first time.
It comes a year after players from Russia and Belarus were banned from the All England Club following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Wimbledon has been unable to avoid controversy after allowing players from both countries to return to the tournament in 2023.
April 2022: Following the invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon bans players from Russia and Belarus from the upcoming Championships. In a statement, Wimbledon said the decision was made in order to "limit Russia’s global influence" and avoid a situation which could "benefit the propaganda machine of the Russian regime". Wimbledon was the only grand slam to exclude players from Russia and Belarus and the All England Club was fined by the men’s and women’s professional tours.
March 2023: Facing further punishment if it continued to ban players from Russia and Belarus, Wimbledon lifted the ban on players from both countries in what chair Ian Hewitt described as an “incredibly difficult decision”.
June 2023: Top players such as Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s No 2, and Russian Daniil Medvedev, the men’s No 3, receive their UK visas in time to return to the Championships. Wimbledon sets out a series of conditions that Russian and Belarusian players will be required to meet in order to compete. Players from Russia and Belarus are told to sign declarations of neutrality.
1 July 2023: On the eve of the Championships, Aryna Sabalenka says she will not discuss the war in Ukraine during the tournament. Sabalenka skipped two press conferences during the French Open, citing mental health concerns, following a series of tense exchanges with reporters about the war. “If you have any kind of political questions, you can ask the WTA or the tournament,” Sabalenka said. “They can send you the transcript of my answers from the previous tournaments.”
Top players Aryna Sabalenka and Daniil Medevdev returned to Wimbledon— (Getty Images)
2 July 2023: As Wimbledon begins, Andrey Rublev becomes the first Russian player to win a match at the All England Club since 2021. Playing under a neutral flag, Rublev, the seventh seed, is greeted warmly by the crowd and there are no signs that Russian or Belarusian players will be met with any sort of hostility from the fans at Wimbledon. Over the first week, the charismatic Rublev and Medvedev become popular, as does the 16-year-old Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva, who stuns the tournament by reaching the fourth round on her Wimbledon debut.
Mirra Andreeva became one of the breakout stars of Wimbledon— (Getty Images)
7 July 2023: After receiving a wildcard to the tournament three months after returning to tennis following the birth of her daughter Skai, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina advances to the fourth round after victories over Venus Williams, Elise Mertens and Sofia Kenin. A former world No 3 and Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2019, Svitolina says Wimbledon should not have allowed Russian and Belarusian players to return to the tournament. However, the 28-year-old praises the All England Club for covering all of the accommodation costs for Ukrainian players and their teams.
7 July 2023: In reaching the fourth round, Svitolina is drawn to play former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka. In doing so, it sets up the first match between a Ukrainian player and a Russian or Belarusian player at this year’s Championships. Svitolina faced another Belarusian player in Sabalenka in the French Open fourth round the previous month, where the Ukrainian was booed by the Roland Garros crowd for not shaking her opponent’s hand after the defeat.
Svitolina had previously made her position perfectly clear, explaining that she would not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players while the invasion of her country continues. “It started with the Ukrainian government that went to the meetings with the Russian government,” Svitolina said. “They (Ukraine) were against shaking the hands because they’re not sharing the same values, obviously, and what the Russians are doing to our country. We are Ukrainians, all united for one goal of winning this war. We do anything that is required.”
Elina Svitolina— (PA Wire)
9 July 2023: Elina Svitolina defeats Victoria Azarenka in a three-set thriller, winning the match tiebreak 10-8 after receiving incredible support fom the crowd on Court One. As expected, there was no handshake at the net between Svitolina and Azarenka, who respected the Ukrainian’s stance not to shake hands. Instead, there was a nod of acknowledgement after the match as Svitolina’s extraordinary run continued.
Azarenka was then loudly booed as she left the court, appearing incredulous at the response from the crowd following the non-handshake. It is the first moment of hostility shown towards a Russian or Belarusian players at the Championships and Azarenka was furious in her post-match press conference. The 33-year-old said the crowd’s reaction was “not fair” and said they did not understand the situation. Azarenka criticised “drunk” fans in the crowd who had “a lot of Pimm’s”.
Victoria Azarenka reacts after she is booed off the court at Wimbledon— (Getty Images)
Afterwards, Svitolina declares her win against Azarenka as a “victory” for Ukraine. “I know that a lot of people back home watching, supporting me. I feel responsibility, as well. So if I’m going out to play this match against Russian, Belarusian, I feel of course more pressure that I need to win. That’s why it means a lot to get these kinds of wins.In my own way, to bring this victory, small victory, to Ukraine.”
10 July 2023: Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton says there will also be no instruction to umpires to inform crowds not to expect a handshake if a Ukrainian player faces a Russian or Belarusian, despite the boos aimed at Victoria Azarenka after her match with Elina Svitolina.
11 July 2023: Roared on by the Wimbledon crowd, Elina Svitolina stuns world No 1 Iga Swiatek to reach the semi-finals. It sets up a semi-final meeting with the unseeded Czech player Marketa Vondrousova.
12 July 2023: There remains the possibility of a Ukraine-Belarus women’s final after Aryna Sabalenka returned to the semi-finals on the other half of the draw. The Belarusian beat Madison Keys 6-4 6-2, while Russia’s Daniil Medvedev advanced to the semi-finals for the first time and will play Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.
13 July 2023: Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina will bid for a place in the Wimbledon final. Sabalenka faces last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur after Svitolina’s match against Vondrousova.
