Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian players has drawn the ire of the strongest voices in tennis

• Wimbledon announced this week that it will ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing.
• The decision has caused outrage in tennis, angering two of the sport's main governing bodies.

Wimbledon, tennis' most iconic and beloved tournament, is facing widespread criticism from within the sport after announcing that it would unilaterally ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.

Such a ban had been long-rumored, but the news was confirmed by organizers in a statement Wednesday.

"In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships," the statement read.

"It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships 2022."

While many sports around the world have already totally banned Russian athletes from competing as a result of the invasion, tennis has so far taken a more lenient approach, allowing players from both Russia and Belarus to continue as normal, with the caveat that they cannot compete under their national flags, and must participate as neutrals.

Wimbledon, however, has decided to go one step further, reportedly in part because of the fear that World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev could very well win the tournament, be presented with the trophy by a member of the British royal family,and hand Vladimir Putin a major PR boost.

Two tours and tennis' biggest star are among those upset by Wimbledon

In banning Russian and Belarusian players, Wimbledon has alienated many of the loudest and most influential voices in the sport.

The decision was the subject of swift condemnation by the ATP, which is responsible for the elite worldwide men's tennis tour, and the WTA, which oversees women's tennis. Within just a few hours of Wimbledon's announcement both organizations had released scathing statements.

The ATP said that the ban is "unfair," and risks setting a "damaging precedent," while the WTA accused British tennis authorities of discrimination against the banned players.

"Discrimination, and the decision to focus such discrimination against athletes competing on their own as individuals, is neither fair nor justified," the WTA said.

"Discrimination based on nationality also constitutes a violation of our agreement with Wimbledon that states that player entry is based solely on ATP Rankings," the ATP added.

The International Tennis Federation, which oversees the whole of tennis worldwide, is the only major federation yet to publicly comment on the ban.

As well as irking the two biggest organizers of tennis tournaments globally, Wimbledon's actions have annoyed some of the most prominent individuals in the game, most notably Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic, the top-ranked men's player and arguably the most recognizable face in tennis, told reporters at the Serbian Open Wednesday that he disagreed with Wimbledon's ban, calling it "crazy."

"I will always condemn war, I will never support war being myself a child of war," Djokovic said, per numerous outlets.

"I know how much emotional trauma it leaves. In Serbia we all know what happened in 1999. In the Balkans we have had many wars in recent history.

"However, I cannot support the decision of Wimbledon, I think it is crazy. When politics interferes with sport, the result is not good."

Even some Ukrainian players disagree with the ban

Wimbledon's Russian athlete ban has even been tacitly condemned by several Ukrainian tennis players.

"We don't want them banned completely," women's World No. 25 Elina Svitolina said, adding that she believes players who speak out against the war should be allowed to compete.

"If they didn't choose, they didn't vote for this government, then it's fair they should be allowed to play and compete," she told the BBC.

A number of icons from the game's past have also condemned the ban, with 39-time Grand Slam winner Billie Jean King saying she "cannot support" banning individuals because of their nationality.

Martina Navratilova, who won 49 Grand Slams across singles and doubles, also hit out at Wimbledon, and was close to tears during a radio interview about the ban.

"This is not helpful," she told British radio station LBC.