ATP slaps LTA with a hefty fine of $1 million for banning Russian and Belarusian players from playing in Wimbledon and other events
Follow Us
ATP Tour slapped a hefty fine on LTA after banning Russian players such as Daniil Medvedev - FirstSportz
The Russian and Belarusian players faced a significant setback when they were banned from participating in all the tournaments during the grass season. Lawn Tennis Association made this decision due to the war-like conditions between Ukraine and Russia. The decision proved costly for them as they have been fined by the ATP Tour for banning players.
LTA did not allow players from both countries to participate in all the pre-tournaments that led up to Wimbledon. This decision was made after All England Club did not allow players to participate in Wimbledon Championship. Due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players, ATP even did not award any ranking points to the participants at Wimbledon.
Due to the ban on players, ATP slapped a fine with the hefty amount of £822,000 ($1 million). The decision by the ATP Tour came after the WTA Tour imposed a $750,000 penalty in July on account of the same reasons. Along with the fine, they have been threatened with possible membership cancellation if they remain firm on their stance in 2023 during the summer events.
The association of tennis professionals posed the fine on the tennis association of about $200k for every tournament staged on the men’s Tour and Challenger level over the summer – Queen’s, Eastbourne, Surbiton, Nottingham, and Ilkley. Due to this extreme decision, players like Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, and others were forced to skip the Grand Slam tournament in London.
ATP rankings ahead of the start of the 2023 season
The 2022 season saw many breakthrough performers and the older generation remained the dominant force. But also some young players managed to cement their place and broke some previous records such as Carlos Alcaraz who became the youngest player to become the World No 1. He also went on to become the youngest year-end World No 1 which was unique since he was the only player out of the Big 4 to claim the top spot in the ATP rankings.
Though Rafael Nadal won two Grand Slam tournaments but had a disappointing second half of the season due to his injuries. He ended as the No 2 player in the world as the 2023 season is about to start. Novak Djokovic faced a major setback due to his Covid-19 vaccination status and was forced to skip out on major tournaments. But he still managed to remain in the Top 5 with a perfect ending to the year winning the ATP Finals and remaining undefeated at SW19 for four years.
Ahead of the start of the 2023 Australian Open, the latest rankings with the points are:
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) | 6820 |
| 2 | Rafael Nadal (Spain) | 6020 |
| 3 | Casper Ruud (Norway) (+1) | 5820 |
| 4 | Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) (-1) | 5550 |
| 5 | Novak Djokovic (Serbia) (+3) | 4820 |
| 6 | Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) | 4195 |
| 7 | Daniil Medvedev (Russia)(-2) | 4065 |
| 8 | Andrey Rublev (Russia) (-1) | 3930 |
| 9 | Taylor Fritz (The United States of America) | 3355 |
| 10 | Hubert Hurkacz (Poland)(+1) | 2905 |
Also Read: Brad Gilbert heaps praise on Carlos Alcaraz comparing his mental fortitude to Rafael Nadal
Stay Updated!
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)