No. 2 Medvedev back on ATP tour after Wimbledon ban

GENEVA (AP) — Watching the current information from Ukraine is “very upsetting,“ No. 2- ranked tennis participant Daniil Medvedev stated Sunday of the conflict that led Wimbledon organizers to ban him and different Russians from their match.

The U.S. Open champion spoke on the Geneva Open the place he returns to motion after a five-week absence from the ATP Tour for surgical procedure on a hernia damage.

“I had a while to comply with what is occurring, yeah, it’s very upsetting,” Medvedev stated when requested if he might monitor the battle in Ukraine extra intently whereas not enjoying.

Medvedev beforehand stated in February after Russia invaded Ukraine that he was “all for peace.”

Although most Olympic sports activities banned Russian groups and athletes from worldwide competitions, tennis allowed gamers to proceed as people and never representatives of their nation.

Wimbledon organizers went additional, asserting three weeks in the past with assist from the U.Ok. authorities a call to impose a ban and “restrict Russia’s world affect by the strongest means potential.”

They stated that might change “if circumstances change materially” within the conflict earlier than the match begins June 27.

Medvedev stated in Geneva “I don’t know if this determination is like 100% and it’s over” for him at Wimbledon the place he reached the spherical of 16 final 12 months.

“If I can play, I’m going to be pleased to play at Wimbledon. I like this match,” he stated.

Showing relaxed and smiling usually in a 16-minute information convention talking in English and French, Medvedev defined his outlook when requested about assist he received from different gamers.

“Me, personally in life, I attempt to respect each opinion as a result of each human life is completely different,” he stated. “You present a tennis ball to 100 folks I’m positive a few of them are going to say it’s inexperienced, and never yellow.

“I feel it’s yellow. If anyone tells me it’s inexperienced I’m not going to, , get in battle with this particular person.”

Medvedev is top-seeded on the Geneva clay-court match and has a bye into the second spherical to face Richard Gasquet or John Millman.

The match might be his essential preparation for the French Open beginning subsequent Sunday. Till final 12 months’s run to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, the 26-year-old Medvedev by no means received previous the primary spherical.

“It’s by no means been straightforward for me on clay courtroom to right away begin (effectively),” he stated. “Even one match goes to be good to arrange. I’m feeling good bodily.”

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Extra AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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