The ATP and WTA have announced that Wimbledon tournament will not be counted and ranked for participating athletes.
However, it can be said that the tournament will only be a friendly tournament, performing between players.
This year, players from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete at Wimbledon. The All England Lawn Tennis and Route Club, which hosts the world’s most prestigious tennis event, has announced that players from both nations will be ‘declined entry’ due to their governments’ actions in the invasion of Ukraine.
“The ability for players of any nationality to enter tournaments based on merit, and without discrimination, is fundamental to our Tour,” the ATP said 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 integrate of the ATP Ranking system.
“It is also inkonsisten 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.” the ATP added.
The WTA confirmed shortly after that it will follow suit and make the same decision as the men’s tennis governing body.
“The position we are taking is to protect the equal opportunities that WTA players must have to compete as individual,” the WTA said in a statement.
“If we fail to take this stance, we will abandon our fundamentals and allow the WTA to set an example in favourit of discrimination on the basis of nationality at other events and at other regions of the world.” the WTA added.
Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year, begins on Mendaya, June 27 and ends on Sunday, July 10 in 2022.
