The world number two will likely be permitted to compete at Roland-Garros if he recovers from surgery in time
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Russian ace Daniil Medvedev will likely be permitted to play at the French Open in around six weeks’ time should he be cleared after hernia surgery, despite facing a potential ban from playing at Wimbledon this summer for fears from the All England Club that a positive performance at the grass court showpiece could be seen as a ‘propaganda boost’ for Russia amid the ongoing military operation in Ukraine.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) have confirmed to The Telegraph that they will adhere to a collective agreement last month which would see players from Russian and Belarus compete under neutral flags and without their national anthems if they were to be permitted to play at the Grand Slam event.
However, Medvedev’s recently announced surgery could put him on the shelf for as much as two months, meaning that he might miss the entire event regardless of any political posturing from French tennis chiefs.
Medvedev, 26, reached the quarter-finals of last year’s event at Roland-Garros despite clay being widely known as his least-favored surface.
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It was reported on Tuesday that Wimbledon and its operators the All England Club are mulling over banning Medvedev and other Russian and Belarusian players, with their status as an independent members’ club allowing them to bypass any regulations which would ordinarily prohibit such a move.
However, it has been suggested that they might be cleared to play if they formally ‘denounce’ Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This comes amid a large-scale crackdown on Russian sport from the global fraternity following the launch of the military operation in Ukraine in late February.
UK sports minister Nigel Huddelston, discussing the mooted Wimbledon ban, said that Putin must not be given opportunity to gain political capital on the back of sporting exploits in England.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA), meanwhile, has not yet responded to media queries as to whether Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed play at the US Open which begins in late August.
The uncertainty surrounding Medvedev’s immediate career comes after several other steps were taken against Russian sport, including stripping St. Petersburg of this season’s UEFA Champions League final.
Measures have also been taken against the country’s gymnastics, track and field, rugby and skating teams, among various others, while the Russian national football team have also effectively been banned from playing at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
