Russian players will be allowed to compete at 2023 Australian Open under neutral flag
ATP & WTA
The Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley, confirmed that if nothing changes, Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at the 2023 Australian Open.
The Russian and Belarusian tennis players were not allowed to compete at this year's Wimbledon. For a moment, there were various reports, suggesting that also other Grand Slam tournaments may choose the same approach.
However, now it seems that the players from these countries will be able to compete in all majors in 2023 again. Only a few months ago, the All England Club CEO, Sally Bolton, stated that the ban for Russian and Belarusian players was only for 2022 and that most probably they would be allowed to compete next year.
Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka are among the best players in the world, which is why many tennis fans were wondering whether they would be able to compete at the first Grand Slam of the season, which is right around the corner.
The 2023 Australian Open will be played in January, and as of now, it seems that the Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete in Melbourne.
The CEO of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley, spoke about the participation of athletes from these countries.
Tiley spoke to reporters on Wednesday, as per Reuters, and revealed that Russian and Belarusian players will be able to play under a neutral flag.
"At this point, Russian and Belarusian players will be eligible to play in the Australian Open. The only difference will be that they cannot represent Russia – cannot represent the flag of Russia."
"They cannot participate in any activity such as the anthem of Russia and they have to play as independent players under a neutral name. But they will be welcome to the Australian Open in January."
