Wimbledon ’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players has been branded “unfair” and racist by the ATP.
And a former Russian Davis Cup star has called on players to take legal action against the All England Club and LTA for excluding them from all grass-court events this summer. The ban was announced on Wednesday afternoon in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But the move is set to spark a civil war in tennis where Russian and Belarusian players - such as Daniil Medvedev and Victoria Azarenka - have thus far been allowed to continue playing under a neutral banner.
An ATP statement said: “We strongly condemn Russia ’s reprehensible invasion of Ukraine and stand in solidarity with the millions of innocent people affected by the ongoing war. Our sport is proud to operate on the fundamental principles of merit and fairness, where players compete as individuals to earn their place in tournaments based on the ATP Rankings.
