Wimbledon allows Russian and Belarusian players back into tournament

Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon and the British grass-court tournaments this year after the All England Club (AELTC) and the LTA jointly opted to reverse their bans on players for this season’s events.

After being banned from competing at all British tour-level events in 2022, this year Russian and Belarusian players will be required to sign neutrality agreements, which prohibit them from expressing support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, receiving funding from the Russian or Belarusian state and being sponsored by organisations funded by their governments. Players will not be required to express criticism of their governments.

In a statement the AELTC said: “Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players subject to them competing as ’neutral’ athletes and complying with appropriate conditions. These will prohibit expressions of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in various forms and prohibit entry by players receiving funding from the Russian and/or Belarusian states (including sponsorship from companies operated or controlled by the states) in relation to their participation in the Championships.”

In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the question of how to treat Russian and Belarusian professional tennis players has proven one of the most divisive issues in the recent history of the sport.

More details to follow