The International Tennis Federation has pronounced the exclusion of Russia from its two major competitions, but the players will be able to continue to perform on the circuit.
And now… international tennis. Following the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to directly exclude Russia from international competitions, the Russian tennis team was excluded from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean Cup on Tuesday, the international tennis federation announced ( ITF). This is a real blow for the country, defending champion of both competitions.
This suspension, which also applies to Belarus, was taken “for an indefinite period”, specifies in a press release the ITF, which thus engages the various decisions taken in international sport, starting with Fifa and UEFA. , who jointly pronounced an exclusion from Russia and its clubs.
Russian players allowed to compete on the individual circuit
«The International Federation condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its facilitation by Belarus, can we read in the press release. In addition to the cancellation of the tournaments in these countries, the management committee pronounced the immediate suspension of the Russian Tennis Federation and the Belarusian Tennis Federation from ITF tournaments until further notice.»
This measure therefore directly affects the various Russian players, first and foremost the new world number 1 Daniil Medvedev, as well as his partner Andrey Rublev (6th in the world). On the other hand, the two men will be able to continue to compete on the ATP circuit, like the women on the WTA circuit, as confirmed by the ITF and the organizations. “For now, players will be able to continue performing in Grand Slams and tournaments. However, they will no longer perform under their country’s flag or name.»