Wimbledon has bowed to pressure from the tennis establishment by reversing the ban on players from Russia and Belarus imposed in response to the Putin regime’s invasion of Ukraine.
The decision, announced in a statement by the All England Club on Friday, had been widely anticipated following forthright opposition to the ban from the ATP and the WTA. The tours stripped last summer’s tournament of ranking points and fined both the All England Club and the Lawn Tennis Association, which followed Wimbledon in barring Russians and Belarusians from its tournaments as part of a “consistent approach across all events”. However, it was a threat to expel British tennis from the professional tours altogether, jeopardising the future of established events like Queen’s and Eastbourne, that effectively forced the All England Club’s hand.
“There was a strong and very disappointing reaction from some governing bodies in tennis to the position taken by the All England Club and the LTA last year with consequences which, if continued, would be damaging to the interests of players, fans, the Championships and British tennis,” read the club’s statement.
The decision was welcomed by Daniil Medvedev, who sat out Wimbledon last year – when he was the reigning US Open champion and world No 1 – after reaching grass-court finals in Rosmalen and Halle.
“I’m really happy,” said Medvedev following his semi-final win over Russian compatriot Karen Khachanov at the Miami Open.
“I always said that I love this tournament. It’s the only grand slam, which is surprising when we have Roland Garros, that I didn’t make quarters yet, and I want to do better.
“I had some tough losses there. I want to try to turn this around. It’s a beautiful tournament, beautiful grand slam. I’m really happy that I’m going to be able to play there this year.”
To compete at Wimbledon and the LTA events leading up to it, Russian and Belarusian players and their support staff will be required to sign a neutrality agreement prohibiting any expression of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They will also need to confirm that they are neither receiving state funding nor sponsored by state-owned or state-controlled companies “in relation to their participation in the Championships”.
The terms, painstakingly wrought following consultation with the British government, the two tours and other “international stakeholder bodies in tennis”, are unlikely to make any material difference to the affected players, who have been competing under a neutral flag since the war began.
“I guess we just follow the rules,” said Khachanov. “I think this is what we are doing now, right? There is neutrality? There is no flag since last year end of February?
“So basically we just keep doing the same like all other tournaments, I think. It’s nothing different.”
Therein lies the frustration for the All England Club, which took a lone stand last year but has now effectively been railroaded into conformity.
“We continue to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine,” said Ian Hewitt, the All England Club’s chairman.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted.”
Wimbledon’s volte-face was denounced by Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, who urged the British government to decline visa applications from Russian players.
“Has Russia ceased its aggression or atrocities?” wrote Kuleba on social media. “No, it’s just that Wimbledon decided to accommodate two accomplices in crime. I call on the UK government to deny visas to their players.”
Yet the reality of the dilemma facing the All England Club was laid bare in a statement issued by the LTA.
“The effect on British tennis of the LTA being expelled from the tours would be very damaging and far reaching for the game in our country,” said the statement.
“The impact would be felt by the millions of fans that follow the sport, the grass roots of the game, including coaches and venues which rely on the events for visibility and to bring new players into the game, and of course professional British players.”
In a joint statement, the ATP and WTA welcomed the successful resolution of a problem that, not for the first time, has exposed the fault-lines in the sport’s governance.
“It has taken a collaborative effort across the sport to arrive at a workable solution, which protects the fairness of the game,” said the statement.
“This remains an extremely difficult situation, and we would like to thank Wimbledon and the LTA for their efforts in reaching this outcome, while reiterating our unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine.”