The players’ association ATP has sharply criticized the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian tennis players from the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon.
The decision was “unfair” and had “the potential to set a damaging precedent,” said the organization responsible for men’s tournaments. There was initially no reaction from the WTA women’s association.
The ATP positioned itself all the more clearly. “Discrimination on the basis of nationality is a violation of our agreement with Wimbledon that players’ participation is based solely on the ATP rankings,” the players’ association said.
The ATP also emphasized that players from Russia and Belarus can continue to participate in tournaments under a neutral flag.
“So far, this position has also been shared by all professional tennis,” the statement said. The ATP condemns the Russian invasion “strongly” and “stands in solidarity with the millions of innocent people affected by the war.”
Wimbledon organizers decided on Wednesday to exclude players like top Russian player Daniil Medvedev and last year’s Belarusian semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka for attacking Ukraine.