LAST UPDATE | 20 Apr 2022
WIMBLEDON HAS BANNED Russian and Belarusian players from the 2022 tournament in response to the invasion of Ukraine, but ATP and WTA organisers branded the move “unfair” and “very disappointing” on Wednesday.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), which runs Wimbledon, said it was acting to “limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible”.
Russian men’s world number two Daniil Medvedev and Belarusian female world number four Aryna Sabalenka — a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year — are the leading players affected by the ban.
“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,” an AELTC statement said.
“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.”
“It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to Wimbledon,” the AELTC added.
The Lawn Tennis Association has also banned Russian or Belarusian players from competing in other British grass-court tournaments, including Wimbledon warm-up events at Queen’s Club and Eastbourne.
Players from Russia and Belarus have been able to compete on the ATP and WTA tours since the war in Ukraine started, but they were not allowed to use their national flags.
The ITF had already banned both countries’ teams from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup.
ATP and WTA bosses claim the Wimbledon ban is discriminatory and sets a damaging precedent.
“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,” an ATP statement 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.
“Our sport is proud to operate on the fundamental principles of merit and fairness, where players compete as individuals to earn their place in tournaments based on the ATP Rankings.”
The WTA said the decision was “neither fair nor justified”.
“We are very disappointed in today’s announcement,” the WTA said in a statement.
“A fundamental principal of the WTA is that individual athletes may participate in professional tennis events based on merit and without any form of discrimination.”
Australian men’s player John Millman also expressed frustration at the ban.
“I feel like Ukraine would be better served if Wimbledon donated their entire profit in support aid instead of banning the Russian and Belarusian players,” he tweeted.
Others hit by the ban are Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who is currently eighth in the ATP rankings, while his compatriot Karen Khachanov is in 26th place.
Russian world number 15 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus are two of the other top female players who will miss the grass-court Grand Slam.
Wimbledon, the most high-profile of tennis’s four Grand Slam events, runs from 27 June to 10 July this year.
At present, Russian and Belarusian players are still able to compete at the French Open, which starts in May.
Wimbledon chiefs spoke to the British government earlier in April to discuss whether they should follow a similar policy to the men’s and women’s circuits.
“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,” AELTC chairman Ian Hewitt said.
The AELTC statement added that the ban would be reconsidered if circumstances “change materially” between now and June.
Russia reacted angrily to the reports, deeming it “unacceptable”.
“Once again they simply turn athletes into hostages to political prejudice, political intrigues,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“This is unacceptable. Taking into account that Russia is a very strong tennis country, our athletes are at the top of world rankings, the competition itself will suffer from their removal.”
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) acknowledged “the difficult decision made by the All England Club”.
“At this time, the USTA has not made a decision regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian players at the 2022 US Open.”
Updated to include WTA reaction at 8.24pm
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Rightly so.
@TheHospitalPass: just stop
@Gerry campbell: agreed. Keep applying pressure across all elements of a Russian society.
@Gerry campbell: And I guess we should stop listening to music by Russian composers? And my neighbour’s wife is from Russia, should I block his driveway with my car? Where would you stop with this?
@lelookcoco: at anything that doesn’t send a message internationally I would guess. Nobody cares about your neighbour’s driveway and your 3 Spotify followers probably won’t notice if you ease off the Shostakovich for a while.
@lelookcoco: totalllly different
@TheHospitalPass: Please go away
@TheHospitalPass: An absolute disgrace,,,My God man what planet do u live on?
@Martlas: Virtue signalling. If it makes you sleep better, go for it.
@TheHospitalPass: You are sad!
I would hope so. And none of this letting them play under another flag bs. I feel sorry for the athletes, especially if they have been vocal about being against Putins invasion but if the west are going to go down the sanctions route it needs to be all in.
@Gerry McCaughey: totally, utterly and completely agree
@Gerry McCaughey: I agree but going forward if any other country starts an illegal war which many western countries have, sanctions should be the same as what’s put on Russia now to them countries in my opinion
@Gerry McCaughey: if they played as neutrals or adopted the tennis federation’s flag/symbol then they should be allowed to compete, like chess players have been allowed to if they played under the fide flag and publicly denounced the invasion.
@Gerry McCaughey: They are not competing ‘under a flag’. They are competing in a private capacity.
The UN says the situation in Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. It is a man-made disaster, caused principally by Saudi Arabia illegally bombing Yemen. The Saudis receive their weapons from the USA and the UK, and logistical support from the USA. The world’s worst humanitarian disaster is not deserving of less attention and less action by the western world than the abominable situation in Ukraine just because it is being caused by Western powers. The Saudis, USA and UK should be sanctioned at least as equally severely as Russia.
By all means, restrict athletes who participate in international sport when they do so representing their country, where their country is engaged in illegal war(s) – including Russian, US, UK, Saudi, Israeli, etc. However, to ban professional athletes solely on the basis of their nationality, well, we’ve seen that kind of thing before in Europe in the 1930s and 40s. There is a name for it – fascism.
Firstly, if a Russian or Belarussian were to do well or win you can be sure the Kremlin would try to use it as a propaganda victory for the regime. Secondly there is one current Ukrainian men’s player, and one other who decided to retire recently who can’t play any tournaments because they are back fighting for their country against annihilation by Russia. You can’t have Russians and Belarussians playing in Wimbledon while Ukrainian players are facing Russian bombs
I’m not sure this is the right way at all, particularly when several of those players have previously expressed disagreement with Putin’s war.
It’s just so frustrating that Europe and Germany in particular are funneling billions each month to fund Putin’s military for Oil and Gas and the actions we’re seeing are removing Kerrygold butter from sale in Russia and banning Medvedev from playing Tennis.
Pointless, performative actions while we all ignore the big German elephant in the room.
@Rochelle: Kerry Group don’t own KerryGold butter
@Rochelle: In a war situation it’s right, unless you have a better suggestion.
@Rochelle: Kerry gold butter is not on sale in Russia because of a Russian food import ban since 2014.
GOOD MOVE. It will become harder and harder for the Kremlin to explain things away when more and more Russians are banned and boycotted.
Correct decision. Very few major Russian sports stars putting they’re head above the parapet in any event.
Discrimination against individuals based on group identity. Is it much different to racism?
@bread of heaven: did you agree with the boycott of South African during apartheid? Why or why not?
@bread of heaven: No it’s no different at all.
@Kevin O Sullivan: Do you agree with the BDS movement? Why or why not?
@Rory Jennequin: the Kpop band? Yeah they have some good songs.
@bread of heaven: Another sad person!
@bread of heaven: Why you are pondering that, everything needs to be done to let Russians know the war in Ukraine is inexcusable.
This is a slippery slope. I’m sure the athletes from Russia don’t want anything to do with this invasion
@thomas walsh: Why are you sure of that?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Because most decent people are. Unless you have proof otherwise it’s kind of funny banning people because they happen to be born somewhere
@thomas walsh: a very quick Google of Russian athlete Z and you’ll find plenty of examples.
@thomas walsh: there were some Russian footballers who have voiced their support for Putins invasion.
@Kevin O Sullivan: ok so let’s ban everyone who just happened to be born in Russia. I mean it’s not going to do anything. It’s all just virtue signaling to make us all feel like we are doing something. When we all really know there is only one way to stop Putin. But nobody wants to do that
@thomas walsh: what! Like the one who wore a makeshift Z on his vest on the podium a few weeks ago?
@thomas walsh: you asked for proof that any Russian athletes would support the war and I pointed you to lots of examples of olympic athletes, medalists etc., supporting the war. If you want to talk about a separate topic then grand. The Russian tennis player Rublev is one who has openly come out against the war which is a very dangerous thing to do in a Putin Russia where free speech does not exist. Sports organisations are not in charge of oil and gas and can only make decisions relating to their own domain.
@Kevin O Sullivan: So why is Rublev banned then?
@thomas walsh: Think of the optics: the atrocities we’ve all witnessed in Ukraine alongside millionaire athletes from the county commiting those atrocities free to play tennis in the sun in front of strawberry and cream eating spectators. If they’d any integrity they’d think of that and opt out themselves.
@Ernie Gallagher: ok so like I said it’s so we feel good about ourselves. Because most of these tennis players did nothing but be born in the wrong place
@Ernie Gallagher: exactly. These would be really admirable acts. As for gas and oil having nothing to do with sport, have you ever looked at the adverts that flash around the grounds during football matches? Google Gazprom and you’ll see just how tied in with sport they are.
@alan: To give UEFA their due (and it’s not often we hear that) they dropped their partnership with Gazprom fairly promptly.
@thomas walsh: They are fed propaganda 24/7. The war in Ukraine is but a sidebar on the main page of a tabloid. It’s Putins war.
Great news
Good f them
The right decision…
The invasion of Ukraine is what I’d call unfair.
It’s hard to know if this will have the desired effect. In one way it could just help fuel Putin’s narrative about Russiaphobia and the west being antagonistic. Leads to a siege mentality and lets him ride out the sanction storm. There’s more support for the war now than there was at the beginning. Hard to know what to do. I still agree with the ban though.
Must be his fault so.
Sport has nothing to do with politics.
And what’s happening in the Ukraine is?
One rule for wars started by Russia and another for wars started by the USA,UK,Saudi Arabia and Israel. The hypocrisy is stomach turning.
They could let them play with table tennis rackets..