French Open updates | Djokovic plans to play Wimbledon

Serbia's Novak Djokovic enters center court for his first round match against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Novak Djokovic says he plans to defend his title at Wimbledon this year and supports the decision by the ATP men’s tour to withhold ranking points from that tournament as a show of unity among players — even though the move will negatively affect his hold on the No. 1 spot.

Djokovic called the All England Club’s ban of players from Russia and Belarus over the invasion of Ukraine “a mistake,” and said Wimbledon’s organizers did a poor job of communicating about the issue.

He said he thought there could have been room for a compromise but instead it is a “lose-lose situation for everyone.”

Djokovic spoke in response to a reporter’s question after his first-round victory at the French Open on Monday night.

Novak Djokovic’s first Grand Slam match in 7 1/2 months went about as well as possible.

The No. 1-seeded Djokovic opened his title defense at the French Open with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 victory in less than two hours over Yoshihito Nishioka. He improved to 18-0 for his career in the first round at Roland Garros.

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