WTA: Strong reactions to Wimbledon's Russia ban

LONDON • Women's Tennis Association (WTA) chief Steve Simon has warned Wimbledon organisers and Britain's tennis body of "strong reactions" to their decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus from competing in tournaments.

The All England Club (AELTC), which organises the grass-court Slam, and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will not allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete in events in the United Kingdom due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The move was slammed by the ATP, which runs the men's tour, and the WTA as "discriminatory", with the world governing bodies saying they were evaluating sanctions in response.

Simon told The Tennis Podcast that the Wimbledon decision was against Grand Slam rules and the agreement they have with the tournament, while the LTA, which has WTA-sanctioned events, violated the by-laws and rules regarding athlete entry.

He said: "We don't have the same jurisdiction over the Grand Slams as we do (over) our own sanctioned events. We have precedents... where these situations may have occurred where fines and tournament sanctions have been imposed. I do think that you'll see some strong reactions that will come from us."

Tennis' governing bodies have banned Russia and Belarus from international team competitions following the invasion, but individual players from the two countries are allowed to compete on their respective tours as neutrals.

Simon said both the ATP and the WTA are in discussions over the issue but the decisions will be independent.

The AELTC, in its statement announcing the decision, said it had to play its part in the efforts of government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to "limit Russia's global influence through the strongest means possible".

But Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky has backed Wimbledon's decision.

The former world No. 31 retired from tennis earlier this year and has since joined Ukraine's reserve forces in Kyiv. "I cannot say it was a joyful reaction but it is something I believe should be done," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"In the first two weeks of the war, I was more laid back about it, thinking that every individual should be judged based on their stance, but we know how the Russian troops are behaving."

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE