Wimbledon’s decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus may not last beyond this year, said All England Lawns Tennis Club CEO Sally Bolton.
The decision to ban Russian and Belarussian tennis players from this year's Wimbledon came in April and it has been met by mixed responses across the tennis community. The likes of Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Novak Djokovic have all commented on the unprecedented decision in recent weeks.
Organizers at the All England Club took the controversial decision to ban players from the two nations from the 2022 Championships following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February this year.
However, further details about the ban and how long it will last are unclear as information is only available for this year's competition. Following the Russian invasion, several other sporting events and governing bodies have also banned Russian and Belarusian competitors from entering competitions.
When speaking to Bloomberg Breakfast, Bolton said the All England Club had followed the guidance set out by the UK government, noting circumstances may be different elsewhere.
"It was an incredibly difficult decision to take and we deeply regret the impact it will have on those affected individuals. The decision we’ve made is for this year’s championships only. But we still believe it was the right decision for us to take. It’s impossible to call where we’ll be this time next year."
Wimbledon is the first Grand Slam event to enforce the ban of competitors from Russia and Belarus from playing in the 2022 major. At the Roland Garros this year, players from both countries were allowed to feature, but they weren't allowed to play under the Russian or Belarusian flags and instead played as neutral athletes.
The Wimbledon ban excluded several highly ranked players, such as Daniil Medvedev, the World No. 1 player on the ATP Tour, and Aryna Sabalenka, who currently ranks sixth on the WTA Tour.