ATP, WTA could bar Wimbledon from offering ranking points to players: Report

Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from playing in the event due to the Russia-Ukraine war could turn costly following the reports about a meeting set to take place involving ATP and WTA.

According to reports, the meeting will be held in Madrid where a decision will be taken following Wimbledon's decision to ban players. Players like Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, Andrey Rublev, and Victoria Azarenka are among the highest-ranked players who won't be able to compete at Wimbledon 2022 following the ban.

Wimbledon to be played as 'Exhibition event', no ranking points on offer

According to Express.co.uk, the ATP and WTA chiefs are holding a meeting in Madrid this week to discuss turning Wimbledon into an 'exhibition event' this summer with no ranking points on offer. As per the report, it is the first time players have been banned on the ground of nationality since German and Japanese tennis stars were excluded in the post-World War Two era.

All you need to know about the Wimbledon ban

The All England Club and the Committee of Management of The Championships expressed their support towards those affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. The statement further said that given the profile of the Championships in the United Kingdom and around the world, it is the responsibility of the management to play part in the widespread efforts of the government, industry, sporting and creative institutions to limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible.

ATP and WTA's reaction to Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players

"We believe that today’s unilateral decision by Wimbledon and the LTA to exclude players from Russia and Belarus from this year’s British grass-court swing is unfair and has the potential to set a damaging precedent for the game. Discrimination based on nationality also constitutes a violation of our agreement with Wimbledon that states that player entry is based solely on ATP Rankings", the statement read. 

The WTA also strongly condemns the actions that have been taken by the Wimbledon against the Russia and Ukraine players. In its statement, WTA said," We continue our humanitarian relief efforts to support Ukraine through Tennis Plays for Peace. We are, however, very disappointed in today’s announcement by the AELTC and the LTA to ban individual athletes who are from Russia and Belarus from competing in the upcoming UK grass court events."