Tennis governing bodies banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion of Ukraine.
In what comes as a massive blow to World No.2 men's tennis player Daniil Medvedev, a report has suggested that Russian players will not be allowed to participate in this year's prestigious Wimbledon due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Quoting those familiar with the decision, a report in Sportico stated, "The tennis tournament, held annually at the All England Club in London, will break from the rest of the tennis world by refusing to allow Russians to compete."
A formal decision is expected to be announced in mid-May ahead of the June 27-July 10 Grand Slam entry deadline.
A ban on Russian players in this year's Wimbledon would prevent world number two Daniil Medvedev, 8th ranked Andrey Rublev and 15th in women's rankings, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, from competing in the prestigious tournament.
The report said it was unclear whether players from Belarus would also be banned. Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion, which Russia calls a "special operation".
This news comes as a massive blow for Medvedev, who is likely to miss the French Open 2022 after he confirmed earlier this month that he has decided to undergo a hernia surgery, which will sideline him for one to two months. The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year at the famous Roland Garros in Paris, begins on May 22.
"The last months, I have been playing with a small hernia," said Medvedev.
"Together with my team, I have decided to have a small procedure done to fix the problem," he added on Twitter.
The 2021 US Open champion continued, "I will likely be out for the next 1 - 2 months and will work hard to be back on the court soon. Thanks for all the support."
After losing to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final in January, Medvedev became world number one for the first time in his career at the end of February but lost it after a shock third-round loss at Indian Wells.
Tennis governing bodies had banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion. Individual players are allowed to compete on tours but not under the name or flag of their countries.
Last month, British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said he would not be comfortable with a "Russian athlete flying the Russian flag" and winning Wimbledon in London.
