'Sad state of affairs': Tennis threat turns ugly

1 year ago 45

One of Britain's apical players has deed retired astatine threats by the ATP and WTA Tours to cancel the accepted pre-Wimbledon tournaments unless bans connected Russian and Belarusian players are overturned.

Players specified arsenic Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Aryna Sabalenka were not permitted to play astatine Wimbledon successful 2022, pursuing the penetration of Ukraine.

No authoritative announcement has been made connected whether that prohibition volition stay for 2023. While the ATP and WTA Tours don't person the powerfulness to cancel Wimbledon arsenic a expansive slam, they tin scrap circuit events, specified arsenic the time-honoured Queen's tournament.

"It's a bittersweet authorities of affairs if Queen's wasn't on," British No.2 Dan Evans told The Times.

"I'm not a instrumentality of the threats. The ATP should not propulsion stones erstwhile they unrecorded successful solid houses.

"Queen's is 1 of the champion and astir prestigious tournaments connected the tour, which has done a batch for the ATP Tour successful its time."

Wimbledon was stripped of rankings points successful 2022, a determination that Australian fable Todd Woodbridge said "ruined" the rankings strategy for 13 months.

"By virtuousness of the determination they've made, the rankings are inaccurate and don't bespeak reality," helium told Wide World of Sports successful 2022.

"They're efficaciously null and void."

The ATP and WTA Tours person said tournaments organised by Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) volition beryllium cancelled if it continues to workout "discrimination based connected nationality" which is simply a determination that Evans says won't hole the problem.

"I'm a monolithic advocator for the ATP generally," the satellite No.28 said. "They bash large things but we person to person sensible conversations.

"I don't deliberation threatening the LTA with taking distant the licence for these events is however it's going to beryllium resolved."

"It affects each of the Brits," helium added. "They're not going to get chances oregon playing opportunities with a chaotic card.

"I deliberation communal consciousness should prevail. The LTA's hands are tied a small spot arsenic well. This taxable goes a spot bigger than tennis federations and governing bodies."

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