‘Many of Them Have Left Their Sport’- Novak Djokovic Dwells Upon His Childhood While Expressing Sympathy for Russian Athletes

Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis ace, will be participating in the biggest event of the grass swing. After his clay-court season, Djokovic took a break to prepare for grass and didn’t take part in any events prior to the Grand Slam.

While gearing up to defend his title, he had a few things to say regarding Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players. Djokovic gave the reasoning behind his disapproval of the decision durig the pre-tournament press conference.

Djokovic’s take on banning players

Djokovic, while addressing the press prior to his journey in this year’s grass-based Grand Slam, spoke about the current ban. He said, “I understand both sides. But putting myself in a position where someone would ban me from playing because of the circumstances and I have not contributed. I wouldn’t think that’s fair.”

Thereafter, he disclosed his concerns and said, “let me remind you that back in 90s from 92 to 96, any athlete from Serbia was not allowed to compete on the international stage in any sport… Many of them have left their sport because you know four years is a very long time.”

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Serbia was taking part in the Bosnian war, which started in 1992 and ended in 1995. It was an armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was a part of the breakup of Yugoslavia. In order to condemn the war and its disturbing outcomes, the sporting world banned the players from the concerned nations for five years.

Why is Wimbledon important for Novak Djokovic?

Djokovic, after staying out of hard court season earlier this year, lost both his ranking and grip on the sport. Also, while he was waiting for the vaccination rules to loosen up, Rafael Nadal broke the three-way tie of 20 Grand Slam victories. The Serb made a comeback in the clay court season, winning a title in Rome.

Though Djokovic claimed the title in the Italian Open, he could not defend his Roland Garros title. Rafael Nadal, the eventual champion, uprooted him in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

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Following that, the 35-year-old lost his ranking of World No.1 and is currently in the third spot. Even though the 2022 Wimbledon championship will not help him in terms of ranking, Djokovic can regain his dominance by winning at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.