Wimbledon poised to lift ban on Russian and Belarusian players after ATP expulsion threats - report
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ByEurosport
Published 08/12/2022 at 10:17 GMT
Wimbledon was stripped of ranking points in 2022 after the decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Daniil Medvedev, Victoria Azarenka and Andrey Rublev were among the players to miss out on the tournament, won by Novak Djokovic (men’s singles) and Elena Rybakina (women’s singles). However, they are all expected to be allowed to return in 2023.
'I have to follow the rules' - Medvedev reflects on Wimbledon ban
Wimbledon is primed to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian players in the wake of British tennis being threatened with expulsion by the ATP, according to a report.
The development, reported by the Times, comes after the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) was slapped with a £820,000 fine by the ATP for banning men’s players following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In response, the LTA issued a strongly-worded statement that accused the ATP of having a "surprising lack of empathy" for the situation in Ukraine and showing "a clear lack of understanding of the unique circumstances" concerning the decisions it had to make.
The punishment from the ATP followed the fines imposed by the WTA on the LTA and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which organises Wimbledon, for not allowing women's players from Russia and Belarus to participate in its events over the summer.
The LTA was reportedly fined $200,000 for each tournament ban within the ATP’s jurisdiction: Queen’s and Eastbourne, and Challenger events at Surbiton, Nottingham and Ilkley. However, it reportedly did not include Wimbledon, the tournament ban which made the biggest impact.
The Times report says the All England Club were concerned a Russian or Belarusian player could make a “political gesture supporting the invasion” – as seen by Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who wore a shirt with “Z” on it, a symbol of Russia’s invasion.
"The LTA is deeply disappointed with this," read the statement from the LTA on Wednesday.
"The ATP, in its finding, has shown no recognition of the exceptional circumstances created by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or the international sporting community and UK Government's response to that invasion.
"The ATP appear to regard this matter as a straightforward breach of their rules - with a surprising lack of empathy shown for the situation in Ukraine, and a clear lack of understanding of the unique circumstances the LTA faced."
The statement continued by noting the "material impact" that the fines would now have on the LTA's ability to host tournaments and develop the sport in the UK.
"The financial impact of both this fine and the WTA's fine will have a material impact on the LTA's ability to develop and host tennis in this country," it read.
"For example, we had intended to host a number of ATP Challenger level events to give more opportunities to lower ranked players in the first quarter of 2023 and will now not be able to do this, particularly given the possibility of further fines.
"We will carefully consider our response and we await the outcome of our appeal against the WTA's decision and sanction."
It is thought the biggest obstacle to the ban being lifted is resistance from the UK Government.
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