Just an exhibition tournament? WTA strips Wimbledon of their ranking points due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players

Just an exhibition tournament? WTA strips Wimbledon of their ranking points due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is the oldest tournament in tennis and is one of the most prestigious. Due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Wimbledon decided to impose a ban on the participation of Russian and Belarusian players. These two countries have been viewed as aggressors, and if the players from these countries won the Championships, it would be viewed as the crown is supporting the aggressors. So, to avoid the possibility of any such circumstance, the LTA (Lawn tennis Association) decided to impose the ban.

The ATP and the WTA were unhappy with such a decision of the Wimbledon as they believed that it was a violation of a player’s rights and that Wimbledon was discriminating against the players based on their country. They were quite vocal about their disagreement with Wimbledon and had warned the Wimbledon that there would be severe consequences due to this decision.

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WTA announces no rankings points for Wimbledon, awaits the ATP’s decision.

Aryna Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev
Aryna Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev

Wimbledon moved forward with their ban, and the tennis association’s actions also came. The WTA has announced that Wimbledon would be stripped of their ranking points so that due to the ‘unfair’ ban imposed by the Championships, the players who will not get a chance to participate and boost their ranking do not suffer. Players like Aryna Sabalenka will not suffer from this ban due to WTA’s generosity in the matter.

The ATP is yet to announce its decision on the matter. But, for the women’s event, Wimbledon would just turn into an exhibition event as there is no ranking point involved and if the ATP decides to follow suit, there might be a drop in the players who will be willing to undergo such tough competition for zero rewards. Players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev will have a safety net that they will not be overtaken due to them missing out on Wimbledon.

It might also affect the viewership, and Wimbledon might be forced to reconsider whether they would like to continue with the ban. The coming weeks and the decision from the ATP will be crucial in shaping the upcoming Championships.

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