Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be admitted to Wimbledon

Tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be able to compete at Wimbledon in 2023. The decision on the admission of athletes was made by the organizer of the tournament – the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC).

According to the statement of Wimbledon organizers, Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be able to participate in the tournament only in neutral status. Athletes who receive any state funding from the authorities of Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to compete. The same applies to tennis players who receive sponsorship payments from the state companies of these countries. Also, athletes should not support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the BBC, players and members of their teams will have to sign a corresponding declaration, the violation of which will result in a fine or disqualification. The tournament will be held from July 3 to 16.

Representatives of the Ukrainian authorities condemned the decision of the Wimbledon organizers to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the tournament. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba named ego “immoral” and called on the British government to deny visas to athletes. Earlier, Ukraine banned its athletes from participating in competitions to which Russians and Belarusians are admitted.

In 2022, Wimbledon organizers banned Russian and Belarusian tennis players from playing at the tournament because of the invasion of Ukraine. This was the only Grand Slam tournament where athletes from these countries were not allowed. The organizers of Wimbledon were fined one million dollars for this by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

Earlier, the Fencing Federation of France canceled the stage of the World Cup among fencers due to the fact that athletes from Russia and Belarus were admitted to it. Before that, Germany refused to host the Women’s Rapier Fencing World Cup after allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete.

On March 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete in neutral status, if they did not directly support the war and did not violate anti-doping rules. The recommendations do not apply to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and 2026 in Milan, the IOC emphasized. The decision on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in these games will be made later.