Sports News Roundup: No mandate: Novak Djokovic gets a shot at Wimbledon title defense; Tennis-Only viable option: Wimbledon defends ban on Russian, Belarusian players and more

The CEO of All England Lawn Tennis Club, Sally Bolton, said Tuesday the tournament would not mandate vaccination against COVID-19, adding participants are not required to quarantine on arrival ahead of the tournament. Tennis-Only viable option: Wimbledon defends ban on Russian, Belarusian players Banning Russian and Belarusian players from this year's Wimbledon championships was the only viable option under the guidance provided by the British government, the organisers of the grass court Grand Slam said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

No mandate: Novak Djokovic gets a shot at Wimbledon title defense

Unvaccinated players are not barred from participating in Wimbledon, clearing the path for Novak Djokovic to defend his men's singles title in June. The CEO of All England Lawn Tennis Club, Sally Bolton, said Tuesday the tournament would not mandate vaccination against COVID-19, adding participants are not required to quarantine on arrival ahead of the tournament.

Tennis-Only viable option: Wimbledon defends ban on Russian, Belarusian players

Banning Russian and Belarusian players from this year's Wimbledon championships was the only viable option under the guidance provided by the British government, the organizers of the grasscourt Grand Slam said on Tuesday. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) took the decision in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the stand was swiftly condemned by the men's and women's tours.

Motor racing-FIA stalls on sprints after teams back expansion for 2023

Formula One team agreed to double the number of sprint events to six in 2023 at a meeting on Tuesday but formal approval was stalled by the governing FIA who called for a further evaluation. The world body said in a statement that the proposal was to use the same format as this season, with points awarded to the top eight in the 100km Saturday sprint, but it reserved judgment.

Soccer-Villarreal high on confidence ahead of Liverpool tie, says Parejo

After eliminating Juventus and Bayern Munich from the Champions League, Villarreal have "all the confidence in the world" that they can get past Liverpool and reach the final of Europe's elite club competition, midfielder Dani Parejo said. The Spanish side won the Europa League last season and followed up that impressive European campaign by reaching their first Champions League semi-final in 16 years.

Putin says Valieva's skating 'perfection' could not be achieved with doping

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva's performances could not have been achieved with the help of any banned substances. Valieva, who turned 16 on Tuesday, failed a doping test at the Russian national championships last December but the result was only revealed on Feb. 8, a day after she had already helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) win the team event at the Beijing Games.

Golf-Majors not money motivators for golf's best says Morikawa

If money were the most important thing to the world's top golfers then the new Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series would have 100 players signed up, British Open champion Collin Morikawa said on Tuesday. Major titles, not money are the prime motivator for golf's best according to Morikawa, who made it clear he is not going to risk the wrath of the PGA Tour, which has threatened to bar players from defecting to the new league.

NBA-Lakers should keep 'Big Three' but need younger players too says Shaq

The Los Angeles Lakers should keep their 'Big Three' of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis together but need to surround them with young players who can knock down shots, Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal has said. Injuries sidelined Davis and James for stretches of the season and prevented the trio from ever finding a rhythm. The veteran squad, which was the oldest in the league with an average age of 30, ultimately missed the playoffs.

Soccer-Ukraine league season terminated due to martial law

The Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) season has been terminated and the title will not be awarded due to continuing martial law in the country, the league said. No matches have been played since Russia invaded Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls a "special military operation".

Tennis-Federer to play Swiss Indoors in October

Roger Federer has signed up to play at his home tournament in Basel in October, tournament organizers said on Tuesday as doubts continue on when the 20-time major winner will return to competition from his knee problem. The former world number one, who will be 41 in August, has not played since July last year when he was knocked out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals against Hubert Hurkacz.

Ice Hockey-Russia loses 2023 world championship - IIHF

Next year's ice hockey world championship will be moved away from St Petersburg in Russia, governing body IIHF said on Tuesday, due to concerns about the wellbeing of players and officials after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The tournament was scheduled to take place in St Petersburg from May 5-21. The federation said it will name an alternate host for the 2022 world championship, which will take place in Finland.