Wimbledon to pay for Ukrainian players’ accommodation at grass court events

The All England Club has made a number of significant financial gestures towards Ukraine’s crisis response funds and Ukrainian tennis players competing in their tournaments, asserting their support for the country in light of their decision to permit Russian and Belarusian players to return as competitors at Wimbledon this year.

The AELTC and the LTA have announced that they will cover the accommodation costs of two rooms for all main draw and qualifying players who compete at any British grass court event for the entirety of the grass court season.

While some playing facilities are often only reserved for British players and top-10 ranked competitors, Ukrainian players will additionally be allowed to prepare on courts at the All England Club and Surbiton from their exits at the French Open until the eve of Wimbledon qualifying.

The financial commitment will probably amount to five figures a player, with about 15 Ukrainian players in position to compete in the qualifying and main draw events of Wimbledon alone. The AELTC will further donate to Ukraine crisis response organisations, pledging £1 for each ticket holder at the championships, which the AELTC estimates will amount to a donation of more than £500,000.

Last month, the AELTC announced Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon under the provision that they sign a declaration of neutrality. The declaration has three conditions: players must confirm that they will compete as neutrals, they will not make any statements of support for the Russian or Belarusian regimes, and they will not be in receipt of funds from either states or businesses closely related to the states.

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