“Today’s unilateral decision by Wimbledon is unfair,” ATP strongly condemns Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players
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Daniil Medvedev, Victoria Azarenka and Andrey Rublev
Wimbledon has confirmed that Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be barred from competing this year. The decision was made in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It means that Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the men’s world number two, and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the women’s world number four along with Andrey Rublev, Victoria Azarenka and other Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be unable to compete at The Championship, which begins in late June.
Wimbledon’s move drew much condemnation. The one from ATP is the most potent. The ATP issued a statement stating that they do not agree with Wimbledon’s decision and that players will be permitted to compete at ATP events under neutral flags.
“Players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete at ATP events”- ATP
In an official statement released by the ATP, it was revealed that ATP strongly condemns Wimbledon’s decision of banning Russian and Belarusian players, regardless of the fact that they oppose Russia’s actions in the ongoing conflict. The statement read, “We strongly condemn Russia’s reprehensible invasion of Ukraine and stand in solidarity with the millions of innocent people affected by the ongoing war. Our sport is proud to operate on the fundamental principles of merit and fairness, where players compete as individuals to earn their place in tournaments based on the ATP Rankings.”
“We believe that today’s unilateral decision by Wimbledon and the LTA to exclude players from Russia and Belarus from this year’s British grass-court swing is unfair and has the potential to set a damaging precedent for the game. Discrimination based on nationality also constitutes a violation of our agreement with Wimbledon that states that player entry is based solely on ATP Rankings. Any course of action in response to this decision will now be assessed in consultation with our Board and Member councils,” the statement read further.
They went on to confirm that players from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete at the ATP events under a neutral flag as it has been going on for months. In addition, they will also continue their support for Ukraine under “Tennis plays for peace”. “It is important to stress that players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete at ATP events under a neutral flag, a position that has until now been shared across professional tennis. In parallel, we will continue our joint humanitarian support for Ukraine under Tennis Plays for Peace.”
The French Open is expected to permit Russian and Belarussian players to compete
Players from those nations will be able to compete in WTA, ATP, and Grand Slam tournaments, but not under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus, according to the seven organisations that operate the sport throughout the world. These two countries were also banned from the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup team events, where Russia had previously reigned supreme.
The French Open, which starts on May 22, will be the first Grand Slam tournament held since Russia invaded Ukraine in February and is expected to permit Russian and Belarussian players to compete.
ATP and WTA to boycott Wimbledon?
Steve Simon, the head of the WTA, has previously stated his opposition to players being banned based on the actions of their government. He told the BBC last month: “I feel very strongly that these individual athletes should not be the ones that are being penalised by the decisions of an authoritarian leadership that is obviously doing terrible, reprehensible things.”
With the ATP expressing its displeasure with Wimbledon’s decision, it’s safe to presume that both the WTA and the ATP might boycott the prestigious grass tournament which is the oldest of all the slams. However, only time will tell what happens next.
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)