Decision to Strip Wimbledon of Ranking Points Comes to an Unexpected Halt After LTA’s Latest ViolationVatsal ShahEssentiallySports

Earlier in April, Wimbledon announced a massive decision in relation to the Eastern European conflict. The grass-court Grand Slam tournament decided to ban Russian and Belarusian players from playing at the tournament this year. However, this move sparked a huge controversy. Many players on the tour felt it was unfair to bar athletes’ participation based on their nationalities.

Moreover, this move has put a major blow to the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka. The former was eager to regain the top spot in men’s singles, having lost it to Novak Djokovic.

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However, there was a further twist in the tale as the ATP was considering stripping Wimbledon of ranking points. There were some latest developments in this regard.

Wimbledon decision still under review by the ATP

Along with Wimbledon, Queen’s and Eastbourne tournaments had also banned Russian and Belarusian players from playing in the tournament this season. However, the two tournaments will continue to have ranking points and will go ahead as planned. On the contrary, Wimbledon’s decision of stripping ranking points is still under review.

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 6, 2021. Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka slips over during her quarter final match against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

In a statement, the ATP said, “The LTA’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes is contrary to ATP rules and undermines the ability for players of any nationality to enter tournaments based on merit, and without discrimination – a fundamental principle of the ATP Tour.” 

Billie Jean King criticizes Wimbledon’s decision

The American legend had strong words against Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes. She said, “One of the guiding principles of the founding of the WTA was that any girl in the world, if she was good enough, would have a place to compete. I stood by that in 1973 and I stand by that today. I cannot support the banning of individual athletes from any tournament, simply because of their nationality.”

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Along with her, other top tennis stars like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal also criticized this move. With the ATP’s decision expected shortly, Wimbledon Championships will be just an exhibition event if stripped of ranking points. It remains to be seen if this saga takes a new turn.

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