The white-blue-red flag was still emblazoned next to the name Daniil Medvedev on the ATP website on Tuesday, but that will change soon.
The new world number one and other Russian tennis stars will only be allowed to compete in ATP and WTA tournaments or Grand Slams without a flag and country name.
As a result of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the world association ITF also imposed sanctions on Tuesday. Russia, winners of Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, and Belarus are excluded as associations – but the athletes can continue to travel on the tour.
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Ukrainian association called for tough measures
The Ukrainian association UTF had called for tough measures in clear words. “Russia and Belarus have no right to hold international competitions on their territory, nor to participate in all ITF team and individual tournaments abroad,” the UTF said in a statement on Sunday.
Russian players are – and will remain – influential in tennis, even outside of team competitions. Above all, Medvedev as US Open champion and new number one is a figurehead. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached the women’s final of the French Open last year.
The fact that the associations had not yet reacted to the current crisis was surprising, especially in view of the WTA, which took a clear position early on in the Peng Shuai case and did not shy away from financial losses. Steve Simon, head of the international women’s tour, took action with a clear moral compass and without further ado cut the Chinese tournaments from the annual plan.
Svitolina will not start the tournament: “I won’t play against the Russians”
On Monday, top Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina increased the pressure after being drawn to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova as her first-round opponent for a tournament in Mexico. “I would like to announce that I will not play against Russian or Belarusian tennis players in Monterrey or in any other match until our organizations take the necessary measures,” Svitolina wrote on Twitter.
However, it was important for her to emphasize that she “does not blame” the Russian athletes. ATP and WTA obviously see it that way too. Reports followed on Tuesday that Svitolina should compete after all.
(SID)
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