The WTA and WTA on Friday withdrew (20) Wimbledon points, following the decision to exclude tennis players from Russia and Belarus this year due to the invasion of Ukraine by the Moscow government.
Tennis governing bodies banned Russia and Belarus from participating in international team competitions after the invasion, which Moscow called a “special operation”, but allowed athletes from both countries to continue to compete neutrally.
All you need to know about this year @Roland Garros‼️ 👇#Roland Garros
– ATP Tour (atptour) May 19, 2022
“The ability of players of any nationality to enter tournaments on the basis of merit and without discrimination is fundamental to our department,” the ATP said in a statement. “Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing in the UK this summer threatens this principle and the integrity of the ATP classification system. It also goes against our classification agreement.” “If circumstances do not change, we are sorry and hesitant, but we see no choice but to remove the ATP classification points from Wimbledon 2022.”
Removing ranking points turns the most famous tennis tournament on the planet into a showpiece event.
Additional reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru (India)
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