Wimbledon stripped of ranking points by ATP & WTA post embargo on Russia, Belarus players

In a key development, Wimbledon organisers' decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from partaking in the grass-court event seems to have backfired with ATP and WTA taking a big decision pertaining to the tournament. The Tennis bodies, earlier last month, slammed Wimbledon's decision, however, the organisers have defended their decision. Wimbledon is the third of the four majors on the tennis calendar, and also the most famous tennis tournament in the world.

ATP, WTA stirp Wimbledon of ranking points

The ATP and WTA along with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), have opted to strip its ranking points for the grand slam event. A statement released by ATP regarding the decision read, "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".

The statement further read, "We greatly value our long-standing relationships with Wimbledon and the LTA 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."

Wimbledon defends stance on banning Russia and Belarusian players 

Wimbledon tournament chief Ian Hewitt had earlier stated that the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players was made with the UK government's directives in mind. He noted that the decision is tough for Russian and Belarusian players, who will suffer solely as a result of their leaders' actions.

During a media briefing, Hewitt said, "The UK government has set out directive guidance for sporting bodies and events in the UK with a specific aim of limiting Russia's influence. We've taken that directive guidance into account as we must as a high-profile event and leading British institution. For clarity, the guidance does not allow automatic entry to the Wimbledon based on rankings alone,"