(Reuters) -Wimbledon had its ranking points stripped by the ATP and WTA Tours on Friday over its resolution to exclude gamers from Russia and Belarus on the 2022 Championships attributable to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tennis’ governing our bodies have banned Russia and Belarus from worldwide crew competitions following the invasion, which Moscow calls a ‘particular operation’, however allowed gamers from the 2 international locations to proceed competing as neutrals.
The transfer by the boys’s and girls’s excursions to strip Wimbledon of its ranking points will successfully scale back the world’s most well-known tennis match to an exhibition occasion.
“The capability for gamers of any nationality to enter tournaments primarily based on benefit, and with out discrimination, is prime to our Tour,” the ATP mentioned in a press release.
“The resolution by Wimbledon to ban Russian and Belarusian gamers from competing within the UK this summer season undermines this precept and the integrity of the ATP Ranking system. It can be inconsistent with our Rankings settlement.
“Absent a change in circumstances, it’s with nice remorse and reluctance that we see no choice however to take away ATP Ranking points from Wimbledon for 2022.”
WTA chief Steve Simon mentioned the tour believes athletes collaborating in a person sport “shouldn’t be penalised or prevented from competing solely as a result of of their nationalities or the choices made by the governments of their international locations.”
“The current choices made by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to ban athletes from competing within the upcoming UK grass courtroom occasions violate that elementary precept,” Simon mentioned.
“As a consequence of the AELTC’s place that it’ll not honour its obligation to make use of the WTA Rankings for entry into Wimbledon and proceed with a partial area not primarily based on benefit, the WTA has made the troublesome resolution to not award WTA ranking points for this yr’s Wimbledon Championships.”
BAN SLAMMED
The transfer by AELTC is the primary time gamers have been banned on grounds of nationality because the fast post-World War Two period when German and Japanese gamers have been excluded.
The ban has additionally been slammed by high gamers resembling 21-times Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal who labelled it unfair, whereas world primary Novak Djokovic mentioned he didn’t help the choice.
“Our guidelines and agreements exist as a way to shield the rights of gamers as a complete. Unilateral choices of this nature, if unaddressed, set a harmful precedent for the remaining of the Tour,” the ATP added.
“Discrimination by particular person tournaments is solely not viable on a Tour that operates in additional than 30 international locations.
“We stay hopeful of additional discussions with Wimbledon resulting in a suitable end result for all involved.
“More broadly, we consider this matter once more highlights the necessity for a united governance construction throughout skilled tennis in order that choices of this nature might be made in a joint method.”
The WTA mentioned its British occasions at Nottingham, Birmingham, and Eastbourne would go forward with ranking points on supply as “different and comparable enjoying and ranking level alternatives exist in the identical weeks”.
The ATP had additionally mentioned earlier this week that its occasions at Queen’s and Eastbourne will proceed as regular, providing full ATP ranking points.
INTEGRITY COMPROMISED
Meanwhile, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) mentioned it is not going to grant ranking points to Wimbledon this yr for junior and wheelchair tennis occasions.
“The ITF has decided that Wimbledon’s entry standards banning Russians and Belarusians compromises the integrity of its worldwide competitors, specifically its ranking system, as there’s a lack of different equal alternatives for gamers to compete for ranking points and prize cash,” the ITF mentioned.
AELTC, the organisers of the grasscourt Grand Slam, have mentioned that the ban on Russian and Belarusian gamers was their solely viable choice beneath the steerage offered by the British authorities.
Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) additionally reciprocated the Wimbledon ban by excluding gamers from the 2 international locations from its tune-up tour occasions.
The LTA occasions will proceed to supply full ranking points, though the British governing physique is beneath evaluation for sanctions from the ATP and WTA.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai and Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; enhancing by Toby Davis and Ken Ferris)
