Media: to be admitted to Wimbledon, athletes from Russia must sign a “declaration of neutrality”

Athletes from Russia and Belarus can be admitted to the Wimbledon tournament if they sign a “declaration of neutral status”. This publication reports Tennis Majors with reference to sources. Tournament organizer All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) officially announced on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes earlier today, March 31.

As clarifies The Sun, when signing the declaration, athletes must agree that they will not support Russia and / or Belarus, their regime or leaders. In addition, according to the sources of the publication, the declaration must confirm the lack of funding from the Russian authorities or companies associated with them.

AELTC in its press release announced that Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be admitted to Wimbledon in a neutral status. The club claims that in 2022, when athletes from Russia and Belarus were not allowed to compete, “the use of declarations was not viable.” The new conditions were developed jointly with international sports organizations and the UK government, follows from a press release.

In the spring of 2022, AELTS decided not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in Wimbledon, explaining its decision by the fight against the spread of the global influence of the Russian Federation. The Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women’s Tennis Association criticized the decision, and Wimbledon lost its ranking points.

Lusine Balasyan