WTA provide financial incentive for Wimbledon to reverse Russian/Belarusian ban
ATP & WTA
The WTA may halve the fines it imposed on the Lawn Tennis Association and the AELTC, following a ruling after the British tennis organisations appealed the fine.
The WTA originally imposed a 1 million dollar fine on the LTA and the AELTC, in response to their ban of Russian and Belarusian players competing in any of the UK-based grass court tournaments last summer. The ban came as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus.
The ban caused huge controversy, and continues to do so, as it plunged the tennis community and the governing bodies it is made up of into acrimony.
The WTA and the ATP both argued that the ban was discriminatory based on nationality, which goes against the founding principles of the tours that says any person, if they are good enough, can compete.
As the war in Ukraine nears its one-year anniversary, with no immediate end in sight, the issue of what to do at this year's Wimbledon Championships - and the grass court events prior - is becoming an increasingly urgent topic of debate.
It is understood that no decision has yet been made, but several factors mean it will be difficult for the LTA and the AELTC to repeat the ban they imposed last year.
Firstly, both the ATP and the WTA have said they will cancel the LTA's membership should the ban be upheld. This means that much-cherished tournaments such as Eastbourne, Queen's and Nottingham may be lost forever. This would have a devastating impact on tennis in the UK, both commercially and competitively.
Secondly, the initial fine that the WTA imposed will now be halved should the ban on Russian and Belarusian players be reversed. This follows a legal appeal against the fine.
The LTA and the AELTC are currently weighing up the costs of an appeal against the ATP's fine now too.
Whatever they decide, and whatever the outcome, there is no easy solution to this problem as organisers face continued public and governmental pressure to uphold the ban. What is clear, however, is that the consequences of doing so will be severe.
