Wimbledon to let Russians play

London, March 31

Wimbledon lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian players today and will allow them to compete in the grasscourt Grand Slam this year as “neutral” athletes in a climbdown from the stance it took after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The players will be prohibited from expressing support for the invasion and must not receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian states, tournament organisers the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said in a statement.

Wimbledon had said last year that barring players from the two countries was its only viable option under the guidance provided by the British government following the invasion, which Moscow has called a “special military operation.”

Yet the tournament said this year’s conditions had been developed through dialogue with the government, whose guidelines on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes were issued in March 2022 before last year’s edition.

Due to last year’s ban, Wimbledon had its ranking points taken away. The women’s WTA and men’s ATP tours also imposed huge fines on the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and AELTC.

The ATP and WTA welcomed the lifting of the ban, saying it took a collaborative effort to arrive at a “workable solution” that protects the fairness of the game.

The International Tennis Federation, which suspended the Russian and Belarusian federations from its membership and participation in international team competitions, said in a statement its position would not change.

The LTA said a continued ban would have led to the prospect of its membership being terminated and Wimbledon tune-up events at Queens, Eastbourne, Birmingham and Nottingham being cancelled. — Reuters

#England #London #Russia #tennis #Ukraine #wimbledon