Wimbledon to lift ban on Russian and Belarusian players

Agency :
 Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to play at the Wimbledon Championships this summer as “neutral” athletes, the All England Club announced here on Friday.
“Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players subject to them competing as ‘neutral’ athletes and complying with appropriate conditions,” read the statement released on Friday.
But players receiving funding from the Russian or Belarusian states or having sponsorship from companies operated or controlled by the states won’t be allowed to participate in the competition.
“It is our view that considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for The Championships for this year,” commented Ian Hewitt, Chairman of the All England Club.
“If circumstances change materially between now and the commencement of The Championships, we will consider and respond accordingly.”
As one of the four Grand Slam tournaments of tennis, the Wimbledon Championships declined entries from Russian and Belarusian players to the 2022 tournament. Consequently, both ATP and WTA stripped ranking points for last year’s Wimbledon Championships.