British tennis is fined $1m over ban of Russian athletes

Wimbledon's row with the international tennis authorities over their ban on Russian players has escalated with the British game hit by an extraordinary series of fines totalling $1million.

Sportsmail has learned that the WTA has secretly fined the Lawn Tennis Association and the All England Club £620,000 and £207,000 respectively as a punishment for excluding Russian and Belarusian players from the warm-up tournaments in Eastbourne, Nottingham and Birmingham.

The All England Club, who run Wimbledon, and the LTA are set to appeal with the backing of the British Government, who reacted angrily when informed of the fines.

'Since February the vast majority of the international sporting community have come together in solidarity to condemn Putin's barbaric actions in Ukraine,' Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told Sportsmail. 

'Regrettably the international tennis federations  appear determined to be outcasts in this. The LTA and Wimbledon should be praised for their move to make Russia an international sporting pariah, and doing what is right in the current circumstances.'

In another worrying development for British tennis there are also concerns about the appeal process. Sportsmail has learned that the WTA will only permit an appeal once the fine has been paid in full, leaving the British authorities no option but to shell out over £827,000 before they can mount their defence. 

These concerns are compounded by the fact that the WTA board who will hear the appeal is chaired by WTA chief executive Steve Simon, who was responsible for issuing the original fine.

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