Wimbledon stripped of ranking points over ban on Russian players

The ATP has decided to punish Wimbledon for its decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament by stripping ranking points from the tournament this year.

The decision marks the most significant split among the tennis governing bodies in a long time. It means that Wimbledon will essentially be rendered an exhibition event in the ATP tennis ecosystem, with players unable to earn the ranking points this year as they do at all other official tournaments in the year. Those who performed well at last year’s edition will be unable to defend their points, meaning there could be significant disruption to the rankings. The WTA’s decision is imminent.

“The ability for players of any nationality to enter tournaments based on merit, and without discrimination, is fundamental to our Tour,” said the ATP in a statement. “The decision by Wimbledon to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing in the UK this summer undermines this principle and the integrity of the ATP Ranking system. It is also inconsistent with our Rankings agreement. Absent a change in circumstances, it is with great regret and reluctance that we see no option but to remove ATP Ranking points from Wimbledon for 2022.

“Our rules and agreements exist in order to protect the rights of players as a whole. Unilateral decisions of this nature, if unaddressed, set a damaging precedent for the rest of the Tour. Discrimination by individual tournaments is simply not viable on a Tour that operates in more than 30 countries.”

In April, Wimbledon announced that they would not allow Russian or Belarusian players to compete at the tournament in light of Ukraine’s invasion of Russia. The All England Club cited the possibility of the Russian government using