The 136th edition of the tennis tournament in Wimbledon starts on Monday (July 3rd, 2023). Russian and Belarusian athletes will be there again – to the displeasure of the organizers.
About a year ago, Jule Niemeier and Tatjana Maria experienced the high point of their careers. The two German tennis players contested the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, Maria narrowly won and finally failed one step before the final. Annoying for the DTB professionals: This was not reflected in the world rankings afterwards, there were no points in the classic lawn in London. Because Russian and Belarusian players were not there, the world associations ATP and WTA took the tournament out of the ranking.
“Strong and very disappointing reaction” from ATP and WTA
A year later, the results achieved will again have an impact on the position in the ranking. Wimbledon is back in the standings, as in the other tournaments, all professionals are allowed to compete – including those from Russia and Belarus. The sanctions threatened by the ATP and WTA, which went beyond the deletion of the points, were too blatant to stick to the course. from a “real prospect of termination of our membership” was the speech, the “BBC” also reported on sensitive fines by the world associations.
When asked about sports shows, the “All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club” (AELTC) refers to a statement from March 31, which is still valid. It says, among other things: “There has been a strong and very disappointing reaction from some tennis governing bodies to the position of the All England Club and the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association, ed.) last year, with consequences that, if continued, would harm the interests of the players, the fans, the Championships and British tennis.“
DTB welcomes return under a neutral flag
However, Russian and Belarusian professionals are only allowed to participate in the tournament under a neutral flag, and statements of support for the invasion are also not allowed. And no player who is financially supported by either state is allowed to compete. “We continue to strongly condemn the illegal invasion of Russia and remain wholeheartedly with the people of Ukraine. This was an incredibly difficult decision that was not made lightly or without much consideration for those involved‘ said AELTC Chairman Ian Hewitt.
It’s a compromise that’s well received in the tennis circuit. “The DTB continues to support the joint declaration of the international tennis umbrella organizations of March 1, 2022, according to which Russia and Belarus are excluded from ITF and Tennis Europe competitions – but whose athletes are allowed to participate in international tennis tournaments under a neutral flag“Said Dietloff von Arnim, President of the German Tennis Association, when asked by a sports show. “We therefore welcome the decision of the English FA and the organizers of the tournament in Wimbledon to return to this common line.“
Dietloff von Arnim is the President of the German Tennis Association (DTB).
Sabalenka also in the headlines before the start of Wimbledon
German number one Alexander Zverev also shares this opinion. At the preparatory tournament in Halle, the 26-year-old campaigned for the Russian player Andrei Rublev. “I think Andrei spoke out against the war very, very often. I don’t think he can be punished for being born in a country that is now at war“, said Zverev. In addition to Rublev, Daniil Medvedev (“I have always said that I am for peace“) and among the women, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is back.
She caused a stir at the French Open because she boycotted two press conferences because she was asked about the war. “Before we go any further, I would like to say that I will not be talking about politics. I’m here just to talk about tennis“, Sabalenka made it clear before the Wimbledon tournament. The 25-year-old has “decided for my own mental health and wellbeing to pull myself out of this situation today“.
Swiatek wants to help, Stachowski scolds
Meanwhile, Ukrainian athletes are stuck in “this situation” After all, your compatriots, perhaps also families, are fighting for survival every day in this war. “I think it’s not easy for Ukrainian players to compete on the tour“, said the Polish world number one Iga Swiatek and she wanted to “focus more on helping them.One reason is that Ukrainian Elina Switolina was booed in Paris after refusing to shake hands with Sabalenka.
One of Svitolina’s compatriots is ex-tennis pro Sergei Stakhovsky, who is fighting for Ukraine on the war front. He accuses the associations of not doing enough for Ukraine. “Last year Wimbledon showed great courage. They were pioneers in terms of what should be right and what should be wrong.”, Stachowski told the British newspaper The Guardian. “Unfortunately, they did not find support among their allies. By that I mean the other Grand Slam tournaments. And then we had the particularly sad situation that the two tours also punished Wimbledon for it.”
Zverev just wants to play tennis
And so there could be duels between Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian athletes again in Wimbledon. Politics will again play a major role in the grass tournament this year. There are athletes like Swiatek who want to be actively involved, but there are also those who want to concentrate on their job – playing tennis. “I know there are other opinions too. But I’m going to Wimbledon to play tennis and not to be a politician“, said Zverev.