Wimbledon will allow Russian and Belarusian players despite Ukraine war

Wimbledon has confirmed that it is moving away from the ban on players from Russia and Belarus and that they will be allowed to play at all tournaments in the UK this summer.

The move comes under the strong threat of further fines and penalties from the two tours, which was described as “a very disappointing reaction” by the All England Club.

The British game found itself isolated within tennis by the decision to ban them from competing a year ago.

In April 2022, the All England Club banned the contingent of the two countries that conspired to inflict colossal suffering on another major tennis nation, Ukraine.

However, her lead has not been followed up by other events, despite the tensions that have inevitably developed, particularly within the women’s locker room.

Wimbledon supporters show their support for Ukrainian players last year

Players from Ukraine have complained bitterly, with some refusing to shake hands after matches should they run into those from Russia or Belarus.

All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said the decision to lift the ban was made begrudgingly and under heavy pressure from the rest of tennis, which chose to look the other way as the Putin regime committed atrocities.

“We continue to totally condemn the illegal invasion of Russia and our unconditional support remains with the people of Ukraine,” he insisted.

‘This was an incredibly difficult decision, not one taken lightly or without much consideration for those who will be affected.

“We believe that, considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for The Championships for this year.

We are grateful for the Government’s support as we and our fellow tennis stakeholders have navigated this complex matter and have agreed to terms that we believe are workable.

“If circumstances change materially between now and the start of The Championships, we will consider and respond accordingly.”

Russian Daniil Medvedev is among those who could compete if the ban were lifted.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is another player who can now return to the Wimbledon draw

Another statement from the All England Club read: “Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players subject to them competing as ‘neutral’ athletes and meeting the appropriate conditions.”

These will ban expressions of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in various forms and will ban entry to players who receive funds from Russian and/or Belarusian states (including sponsorship from state-operated or state-controlled companies) in connection with their participation. at The Championships. .’

The announcement has been the worst kept secret in tennis for months, and is the result of a surprisingly hard line taken by the WTA and ATP Tours to protect the principle that their global membership can compete regardless of their government’s sins.

The firm stance of the bodies, which can hardly ever agree on things as mundane as bathroom breaks, baffled the British game.

The Wimbledon statement admitted: “There was a strong and very disappointing reaction from some tennis governing bodies to the position taken by the All England Club and the LTA last year.”

All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said the readmission decision was made reluctantly.

This comes on the same day that two Russians, Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov, will meet in the semifinals of the Miami Open, a reminder of how it’s still entirely possible for players from one of the two countries to do well at Wimbledon this summer. .

Currently, the person most likely to step up to receive a royal trophy is world number 2 and reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

What it removes is the threat of a repeat of last year, when ranking points were stripped from The Championships, severely damaging the event’s credibility.

As Sportsmail revealed last month, a considerable factor in the escalation has been the threat to tournaments in Britain outside of Wimbledon.

It was implied that if bans were imposed, tournament licenses would be placed on the open market with the likelihood of being moved overseas.

A statement from the Lawn Tennis Association read: “Our decision last year to ban Russian and Belarusian players from our tournaments led to significant sanctions being imposed on us by both the ATP and WTA, including the very real prospect of termination of our membership. if they were not going to repeat the ban in 2023.

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent in Texas

It comes despite Russia’s continued destruction of Ukraine. In the photo, Mariupol

“This would mean the cancellation of our professional tennis events in Queens, Eastbourne, Birmingham and Nottingham this year and indeed in the future. The effect on British tennis of the expulsion of the LTA from the tours would be very damaging and far-reaching for the game in our country.

“Given this, and our responsibility as the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain, we have worked closely with the UK government, the ATP, WTA and ITF, along with the All England Club, to find a solution to 2023.

“Our position in support of the people of Ukraine remains unchanged in 2023, as do our concerns about the Russian and Belarusian regimes reaping reputational and other benefits from trying to partner with players.

Taking these considerations together, we have agreed that all players and support personnel from Russia and Belarus wishing to participate in our events in 2023 will be required to sign declarations of neutrality. This is in line with UK Government guidance and is an approach that has been used in other sports.

“There will also be a zero-tolerance approach to any flag, symbol or other action supporting Russia, Belarus or the war by anyone at our venues, including players and spectators.”