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Italian Open 2022 To Go the Wimbledon Way With a Possible Ban for Russia and Belarus
The geopolitical situation in the world is quite precarious right now, and that has taken a toll on the sports world as well. Recently, Wimbledon announced they will not allow Russian and Belarusian players to take part in the Championships. While this decision has been supported by many, it mostly had received widespread criticism. Now, however, there’s another tournament that has joined Wimbledon in instating a similar blanket ban.
Italian Open to follow in the footsteps of Wimbledon
Italian Open organisers are waiting to hear whether players from Russia and Belarus are permitted to compete. With only two weeks until the start of the event, the Italian government is considering a legal intervention off the back of Wimbledon’s decision. https://t.co/JXxQls3Xvu
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) April 25, 2022
While it has not been confirmed yet, the Italian Open organizers are very seriously considering imposing a blanket ban on players from Russia and Belarus. The decision taken by Wimbledon may have brought this consideration about the blanket ban. Sources close to the tournament say that Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is considering the various ways in which they can prevent Russians and Belarusians from playing in Italy.
There are just two weeks remaining for the tournament. Thus, top players like Victoria Azarenka and Andrey Rublev are hoping for an affirmative decision. However, they are not the only players from the two countries who are awaiting the news about the policy that the Italian Open. As it stands now, there are 11 players from Russia and Belarus in the main draw.
Wimbledon’s ban and Andrey Rublev’s promise
Andrey Rublev was one of the first people, Russian or otherwise, to protest against the war. Before he won the title at the Dubai Tennis Championships, he protested in his own way. After his semifinal match, he wrote “No war please” on the camera glass. He also issued a promise if allowed to play at Wimbledon after all.
Mar 18, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Andrey Rublev (RUS) looks on during his quarterfinal match defeating Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Generally known as a nice person on the ATP Tour, Rublev said that if allowed to play, he will be donating all the prize money to humanitarian aid working in Ukraine.
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While it is unlikely that Wimbledon will be changing its policy, we can only hope that the politics and its fallout do not interfere with the non-partisan nature of sports.
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