They had hoped tennis would “do the talking” on the first day at Wimbledon. But no, it didn’t totally. With the All-England club compelled to admit 17 Russian and Belarusian players who were banned from last year’s championships following the invasion of Ukraine, it seemed inevitable their mood and that of the Ukraine players could significantly colour the background at this year’s tournament.
In the women’s singles draw there are four Ukrainian players.
As each player came in to fulfil media commitments, dutiful enquiries were made about their tennis and the match but it was a strange kind of atmosphere, the glaring inconsequence of questions on backhands and serve with most in the room wondering how this could chime with cities like Bakhmut pounded to the ground.
Each time a Russian, Belarusian or Ukraine player was led up to the dais, the elephant in the room was the unasked questions about the Russian invasion. But they were asked.
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What’s the relationship like with the Ukrainian players in the locker room the Russian player, Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova was asked?
“Move it on to tennis, if it’s okay,” interjected the official moderator.
It’s an important issue which has been discussed by the All-England Club, the moderator was informed before Kudermetova interjected.
“Okay, I will answer this question. I mean, I say hi to them. I say hi,” she said. “Some people, they reply. Some not. Like others, I just say here we are just a tennis player. It’s like that.
“And the crowd was very good for me. They support. I think it doesn’t matter from which country you are, we are here just a tennis player.”
Two of Ukraine’s top male players, Sergiy Stakhovsky and Alex Dolgopolov are not at Wimbledon but on the front line fighting against Russia, Dolgopolov a drone operator.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who beat Venus Williams on Centre Court, said Putin’s invasion of Ukraine had caused a rift and posted her view before a ball was struck.
Svitolina, who is based in London, said she was “grateful” when Wimbledon had banned the Russians and Belarusians last year and said the club had reversed the decision because they “did not want to lose their Grand Slam”.
“For sure we are distant from each other,” said the 28-year-old from Odesa.
Viktoria Azarenka, the Belarusian player who won her match 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 against China’s Yue Yuan, has become used to the exchanges. She was one of the players banned from last year’s event.
What does Wimbledon mean to Russia, Azarenka was asked?
“You do know I’m not from Russia, right?” she shot back. “How it is in Russia, I’m not from Russia, I can’t really tell you how it feels in Russia.”
Shall we move on, suggested the moderator.
“There are of course some incidents sometimes happens,” she said. “But I felt like I was very welcomed everywhere. I have been very supported everywhere. And I really appreciate that part.”
Liudmila Samsonova lost to Ana Bogdan 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7). Ordinarily, a first-round match between a Russian player ranked 15 in the world beaten by an unseeded Romanian on court 17 and the result might have gone unnoticed.
Afterwards Samsonova was asked what it is like in the changing rooms with the Ukrainian players and Russian players freely mixing.
“I don’t have any problem with them. I’m always like happy, smiling, and saying hi. For me, nothing. I have no problem,” she answered. But do they say hi back Samsonova was asked? “Depends,” she replied.
At best, the war talk is a weary distraction for players with the Russians feeling the attitude.
It also highlights how last year with the Wimbledon ban, a continuing unbreakable bond between sport and politics. There has been no effort made to dispute that.
The decision to ban has also had the effect of generating a talking point and magnifying the divergence of views more than the convergence of players in the sport. It has been divisive.
Day one and top seed Iga Swiatek is through as is fourth seeded American Jessica Pegula. A dramatic scream from Williams, who fell in the third game clutching her right knee in just her sixth match of the year against Svitolina as the American veteran lost 6-4, 6-3. The Ukrainian goes through.
