Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will head into next week’s tournament as the men’s top seed with Russian world No.1 Daniil Medvedev banned from taking part while Germany’s second-ranked Alexander Zverev is out injured.
Organisers of the grass court Grand Slam have banned players from Russia and Belarus from playing at this year’s Wimbledon following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a 'special operation'.
Zverev had surgery on torn ligaments in his right ankle this month after he was forced to retire from his French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal.
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— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 23, 2022
The absence of Medvedev and Zverev means Nadal, who is halfway through a possible calendar year Slam after winning the Australian and French Open titles, is to be seeded second.
It also results in Djokovic and Nadal finding themselves in different halves of the draw and they cannot face each other until the men's final on July 10. The duo met in this year's Roland Garros quarterfinal where the Spaniard triumphed.
Hey there, champ 👋#Wimbledon | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/p0Q3e8bEGs
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 22, 2022
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