French Open to follow Wimbledon’s footsteps, may bar Russian and Belarusian tennis players: Reports
Follow Us
Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka and Andrey Rublev
The Wimbledon organisers declared on Wednesday, April 20 that Russian and Belarusian competitors will be barred from competing in this year’s Grand Slam competition. The leaders of the Italian Open and the French Open, according to The Times, may follow in the footsteps of the British authorities. The organisers of the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London concluded that the performance of Russian sportspersons on the Wimbledon courts could be used by the local regime for propaganda purposes. A similar decision was made for Belarusian athletes, whose government has backed Russia since the invasion began.
French Open might follow Wimbledon’s footsteps
On Wednesday, the organizers of Wimbledon released a statement on this issue, which closes the way for tennis players from Russia and Belarus to appear in this year’s tournament. “In the conditions of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the participation of Russian or Belarusian players,” the All England Club press release said.
On May 2, the Italian Open will begin. According to The Times, there may be no tennis players from Russia or Belarus in Rome. On the application list, there are 11 participants from these countries. There are Ludmia Samsonowa and Aryna Sabalenka, whom Iga Swiatek faced in finals of Stuttgart Open.
As a result, the ATP and WTA leadership chastised the English for their tough stance. Punishing the British, on the other hand, appears to be unfeasible due to the ITF’s jurisdiction over Grand Slam tournaments. If the Italians follow suit, the sanctions might be substantially less severe. The Times reports that the French may follow the British lead and exclude Russians and Belarusians from competing in the French Open, which begins on May 22.
Earlier French Open authorities decided not to ban Russian and Belarusian players
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) affirmed that the French Open had no plans to bar Russians and Belarusians from competing in the Grand Slam event. The tournament said it would allow individual competitors to play in Paris. “We will impose strict neutrality on Russian and Belarusian players,” said the FFT’s director-general Amelie Oudéa-Castera, but added, “We adhere to the EU sports ministries and the countries around us… individual athletes are only banned if they are selected by their countries.”
The FFT confirmed, in addition, that Novak Djokovic and other players who are not vaccinated against coronavirus are also allowed to compete—though any change in government requirements could apply to the event. “As things are, nothing stands in the way of Djokovic’s participation,” said Amelie Mauresmo, the tournament director of the French Open.
However, as per the recent speculations, things might get reversed after Emmanuel Macron, president of France won the election again.
Stay Updated!
Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)