Wimbledon readmits Russian and Belarusian tennis players as neutrals

Backtrack by Wimbledon which this year – contrary to what was established for the 2022 edition – will also accept Russian and Belarusian tennis players. It was the same director of theAll England Lawn Tennis Association, which organizes the Championships, to announce it, without going into the merits of the reasons for the change of position, decided in agreement with the British government. In order to be able to take part in the London tournament, tennis players from Russia and Belarus will have to agree to compete as athletes of “neutral status”, with the prohibition of expressing support for the invasion of Ukraine in any way. The decision follows the one taken by the International Olympic Committee, which for international competitions has reopened its doors, as neutrals, to Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The organizers also expressed regret over the criticisms received last year following the exclusion of athletes from the two nations directly involved in the invasion of Ukraine. In the press release, they state that last year the conditions for the registration of the aforementioned tennis players did not exist and that the “total condemnation of the illegal invasion of Russia and full support for the Ukrainian people” remain. The decision also affects other British events held before Wimbledon, in particular tournaments Queen’s And Eastbourne.