London, England- Wimbledon has had its ranking points stripped by the Association of Tennis Professionals, (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association, (WTA), and the International Tennis Federation, (ITF), in response to barring Russian and Belarusian players from playing at the next month’s Grand Slam.
According to the Wimbledon chairperson, Ian Hewitt, the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players was as a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in late February.
However, the ATP, ITF and WTA have said that due to the ban, players will not receive ranking points at Wimbledon.
“The ability for players of any nationality to enter tournaments based on merit, and without discrimination, is fundamental to our Tour. The decision by Wimbledon to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing in the UK this summer undermines this principle and the integrity of the ATP Ranking system. It is also inconsistent with our Rankings agreement.
Absent a change in circumstances, it is with great regret and reluctance that we see no option but to remove ATP Ranking points from Wimbledon for 2022. Our rules and agreements exist in order to protect the rights of players as a whole. Unilateral decisions of this nature, if unaddressed, set a damaging precedent for the rest of the Tour. Discrimination by individual tournaments is simply not viable on a Tour that operates in more than 30 countries.
We greatly value our long-standing relationships with Wimbledon and the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) and do not underestimate the difficult decisions faced in responding to recent UK government guidance. However, we note that this was informal guidance, not a mandate, which offered an alternative option that would have left the decision in the hands of individual players competing as neutral athletes through a signed declaration.
Our internal discussions with affected players in fact led us to conclude this would have been a more agreeable option for the Tour. We remain hopeful of further discussions with Wimbledon leading to an acceptable outcome for all concerned. More broadly, we believe this matter again highlights the need for a united governance structure across professional tennis so that decisions of this nature can be made in a joint manner,” said Hewitt.
In addition, Steve Simon, WTA’s chairperson said although stripping ranking points was a difficult decision it had to be done.
“As a result of the AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club)’s position that it will not honor its obligation to use the WTA Rankings for entry into Wimbledon and proceed with a partial field not based on merit, the WTA has made the difficult decision to not award WTA ranking points for this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
The stance we are taking is about protecting the equal opportunities that WTA players should have to compete as individuals.
If we do not take this stance, then we abandon our fundamental principle and allow the WTA to become an example to support discrimination based on nationality at other events and in other regions around the world. The WTA will continue to apply its rules to reject such discrimination,” said Simon.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) also said it will not grant ranking points in the junior and wheelchair events at Wimbledon.
“The ITF has determined that Wimbledon’s entry criteria banning Russians and Belarusians compromises the integrity of its international competition, in particular its ranking system, as there is a lack of alternative equivalent opportunities for players to compete for ranking points and prize money,” read a statement from the ITF.
However, the AELTC said it was deeply disappointed by the move and was considering its options.
“We believe these decisions to be disproportionate in the context of the exceptional and extreme circumstances of this situation and the position we found ourselves in.
We remain unwilling to accept success or participation at Wimbledon being used to benefit the propaganda machine of the Russian regime, which, through its closely controlled state media, has an acknowledged history of using sporting success to support a triumphant narrative to the Russian people,” read a statement from the AELTC.
