Russian Wimbledon stars say same thing about sharing locker room with Ukrainians

Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova gave an insight into the mood in the locker room as Russians returned to Wimbledon. Players from the nation were banned from last year’s Championships along with their Belarusian colleagues in response to the Ukraine war. And both women said that they were still trying to speak to their Ukrainian colleagues in the locker room – even if they didn’t respond.

Russians are back at Wimbledon for the first time in two years after being barred from competing at the All England Club. In line with the rest of the tennis tours, players from Russia and Belarus are competing as neutrals with no mention of their country or flag.

But there still appear to be some locker room tensions as two different Russian players admitted that some of their Ukrainian colleagues still didn’t respond to them. Speaking after her first-round win over the dangerous Kaia Kanepi, Kudermetova was asked what her relationship was like with the Ukrainians.

The moderator initially intervened and responded: “Move it on to tennis, if it’s okay.” But the world No 12 was happy to discuss the matter and said: “Okay, I will answer this question.

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“I mean, I say hi to them. I say hi. Some people, they reply; some not. Like others, I just say here we are just a tennis player. It’s like that.” And her countrywoman Samsonova had a similar experience.

“I don’t have any problem with them. I’m always like happy, smiling, and saying hi,” the world No 15 said of her Ukrainian counterparts after crashing out to Ana Bogdan. “For me, nothing. I have no problem.”

Asked whether the players from Ukraine always responded, Samsonova added: “Depends.” Despite a short stay at SW19, the 24-year-old said it came as good news when she learned that Russians and Belarusians could return this year.

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Discussing the 2022 ban she said: “I think for everyone of my country or Belarus players for last year was tough to accept this. But after this announcement, I made my best comeback maybe of all my career. So I can say I was very, very focused on the work.

“But this year, when they said that we were able to play, it was amazing. So happy.” Meanwhile, ATP world No 7 Andrey Rublev admitted that he still thought the ban was the wrong call as the Russian made a winning return to Wimbledon.

“I think that, I mean, we were talking, and I think we could find the solution,” he said after beating Australia’s Max Purcell. “Yeah, if we really want to help or do what is better for tennis and for the people, I think obviously there was better options. Not just to ban.

“Because in the end, was no difference. They did only worse to themselves. So in the end, I think, yeah, that there was for sure there was options to do much better for everyone. For Wimbledon to, how you say, to take all the benefits from some actions, but it is what it is. Now we are here, and like I said, I’m really happy to be back and to compete.”

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