Wimbledon will enable Russian and Belarusian gamers to compete on the grasscourt grand slam as ‘neutrals’ this yr beneath sure circumstances, having banned gamers from the 2 international locations final yr after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Wimbledon had stated final yr that barring gamers from the 2 international locations was its solely viable choice beneath the steerage offered by the British authorities.
However, this yr’s circumstances embody prohibiting “expressions of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”, which Moscow calls a particular navy operation, and prohibiting entry by gamers “receiving funding from the Russian and/or Belarusian states”.
“Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players subject to them competing as ‘neutral’ athletes and complying with appropriate conditions,” the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) stated in a press release.
“The conditions have been carefully developed through constructive dialogue with the UK Government, the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) and international stakeholder bodies in tennis, and are aligned with the Government’s published guidance to sporting bodies in the UK.”
Due to the ban, Wimbledon had its rating factors taken away. The girls’s WTA and males’s ATP excursions additionally imposed large fines on the LTA and the AELTC.
Wimbledon was the one grand slam to ban rivals from Russia and Belarus, which has been a staging space for the invasion, final yr. Players competed on the tour as particular person athletes with out nationwide affiliation on the different majors.
Two Russians function within the high 10 of the boys’s rankings — Daniil Medvedev (5) and Andrey Rublev (7).
Among the ladies, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is second on the planet and he or she additionally gained the Australian Open earlier this yr. Russia’s Daria Kasatkina is ranked eighth on the planet.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
