Following Wimbledon ’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing at this year’s event a ‘revolt’ is said to be ‘brewing’ among a number of the ATP’s top stars according to Mail Online. Player representatives on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Players Council are said to be taking a ‘hard line’ following the banning decision.
A number of the sport’s biggest names are set to be affected by the All England club’s decision, including men’s world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.
Reports suggest Wimbledon and other UK grass court events will be stripped of official ranking points this summer, due to their stance on Russian and Belarusian competitors.
The decision from the All England Club came in response to Russia ’s recent invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. There are some sympathies for Wimbledon bosses, who were said to have been pressured into the decision by the UK Government, and its zero tolerance approach to Russian involvement.
However the growing feeling among ATP players is that competitors should not be punished due to the actions of their nation’s government. According to the report, the Playing Council met in Madrid last week to discuss the matter, with a firm decision expected to be released later this week.
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While Wimbledon operates as independently away from the tour, it is still part of the ATP ranking system that goes across the full season schedule. If ranking points were taken away from the SW19 event, it would effectively make the tournament a two-week, highly paid exhibition.
This could have stark consequences for Wimbledon bosses, with players potentially opting to play elsewhere where ranking points are on offer. It has also been suggested that the ATP are keen to work in conjunction with their female counterparts at the WTA in also backing the decision.
