Tennis: Russian and Belarusian players banned from Wimbledon over Ukraine war

Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from competing at Wimbledon, the All England Club has confirmed.

Russian and Belarusian players have been able to play on the Women’s Tennis Association and Association of Tennis Professionals Tours as neutral players up until this point, under tennis’ response to the invasion of Ukraine.

However, they will now be ruled out of the third Grand Slam of the year.

The All England Club and the Committee of Management said it had carefully considered the situation in the “context of our duties to the players, to our community and to the broader UK public as a British sporting institution”.

Guidance from the UK Government was also a consideration in the decision, the organisation confirmed.

read also:Diego Maradona shirt auction opens with bid of $5m

“On behalf of the All England Club and the Committee of Management of The Championships, we wish to express our ongoing support for all those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine during these shocking and distressing times.

“Given the profile of The Championships in the United Kingdom and around the world, it is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts of Government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible.

“In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships.

“It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships 2022.”

The All England Club’s decision will rule our Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and compatriot Andrey Rublev, the world numbers two and eight, respectively.

Both men have both called for peace following the invasion of Ukraine.

Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka is the highest player in the women’s rankings to be impacted.

The world number four reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.

“We recognise that this is hard on the individuals affected, and it is with sadness that they will suffer for the actions of the leaders of the Russian regime,” said Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club.

“We have very carefully considered the alternative measures that might be taken within the UK Government guidance but, given the high-profile environment of The Championships, the importance of not allowing sport to be used to promote the Russian regime and our broader concerns for public and player (including family) safety, we do not believe it is viable to proceed on any other basis at The Championships.”

UK Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston had announced last month that athletes from Russia and Belarus would have to prove that they are “genuinely independent and neutral” to participate in sporting events in Britain.

This would have involved athletes signing a written declaration.

Huddleston has welcomed the action taken by the All England Club, which has also been followed by the Lawn Tennis Association.

The Sports Minister acknowledged the impact on individual athletes would “divide opinion”.

“The UK has taken a leading role internationally to make clear that President Putin must not be able to use sport to legitimise Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine,” Huddleston said.

“Whilst the withdrawal of individual athletes is a complex issue that will divide opinion, there is a bigger cause at stake.

“We have set out our position with sport governing bodies and event organisers and will continue to encourage them to take appropriate action for their sport.”

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has claimed the decision it “unfair” and will assess the move in consultation with their board.

“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,” the ATP said.

“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.

“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.”

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina released a statement earlier today, which called for tennis authorities to take a strong position against Russia and Belarusian athletes.

The statement began with the Ginetta Sagan quote “silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the presser”, with fellow Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk among players to share the stance

“As athletes we live a life in the public eye and therefore have an enormous responsibility,” Svitolina wrote.

“Some of our posts and opinions on social media reach an audience larger than those of regional television stations.

“In times of crisis, silence means agreeing with what is happening.

“We noticed that some Russian and Belarusian players at some point vaguely mentioned the war, but never clearly stating that Russia and Belarus started it on territory of Ukraine.

“The very silence of those who choose to remain that way right

“Is unbearable as it leads to the continuation of murder in our homeland.”

Svitolina demanded tennis governing bodies ask players from Russia and Belarus whether they support the invasion and military activities in Ukraine, as well as whether they support Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

“If applicable, we demand to exclude and ban any Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in any events,” Svitolina added.

“In times of crisis, silence means agreeing with what is happening.

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal, and that time is now.”

For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody.

insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.

Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since.

read also:Pele hospitalized again for colon cancer treatment

As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. It would mean we can keep our website open for everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us by far the biggest source of independent news on what is happening in world sport.

Since joining insidethegames.biz in 2015, Michael Pavitt has covered a variety of international multi-sport events, such as the Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics and World University Games.

He has reported from several continental events, including two editions of the Pan American Games, as well as the European Games, Pacific Games and the Asian Winter Games.

Michael has also covered multiple IOC Sessions, ANOC General Assemblies and International Federation Congresses. He has reported extensively from Tokyo in the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ellie Simmonds, centre. joined fellow Paralympic swimmers Maisie Summers-Newton, right, and Will Perry in celebrating Birmingham 2022’s 100-days-to-go milestone at the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre ©Birmingham 2022

For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody.

insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.

Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since.

As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital