Russian and Belarusian tennis players won't be able to compete at the 2022 Wimbledon, and another tournament, the Italian Open, might be considering the same action.
Only recently, the All England Club made the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing at the 2022 Wimbledon Championship, and it seems that other tournaments may follow.
The 2022 Italian Open will take part in Rome from the 8th until the 15th of May, 2022 as an ATP 1000 and WTA 1000 event. It's the last Masters tournament to be played ahead of the 2022 Roland Garros, and after Wimbledon, it might also be considering banning Russian and Belarusian players, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The Rome government is reportedly considering intervening to prevent Russian and Belarusian players from competing in next month's Italian Open in the capital. It would be another unexpected move, as many Russian and Belarusian players would see their preparation for the Roland Garros seriously impacted.
After Wimbledon decided to decline entries to athletes from these countries, many players disagreed with the decision. This included players like Novak Djokovic, and Andrey Rublev, or former players Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.
However, now it looks like the All England Club might find some support from another tournament. Daniil Medvedev, who is currently recovering from an injury, is in doubt of playing the Italian Open regardless of the ban.
However, other players such as Andrey Rublev, Aryna Sabalenka, or Karen Khachanov might be influenced as the last clay-court ATP and WTA 1000 tournament is an important step in the preparation for the French Open for them.
After already missing out on the Wimbledon, this may be another significant blow to Russian and Belarusian athletes during the 2022 season. For now, it remains to be seen whether the decision will really be made.
0 Comments