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The All-England Club stunned the tennis world when they announced that Russian and Belarusian players would be forbidden from participating at Wimbledon due to the actions of Russia in Ukraine. The ATP then pushed back at the storied tournament, removing all ranking points from this year's Wimbledon, effectively rendering it to the status of an exhibition. With the US Open the final Grand Slam on the calendar following the tournament in London, many wondered how they would approach the eligibility of Russian and Belarusian players.
On Tuesday, the US Open announced their massive decision, per ESPN.
The US Open will allow tennis players from Russia and Belarus to compete this year despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Wimbledon to ban those athletes.
U.S. Tennis Association CEO and executive director Lew Sherr, whose group runs the US Open, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that the USTA Board decided to let Russians and Belarusians enter the tournament because of “concern about holding the individual athletes accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments.”
The US Open will allow Russian and Belarusian players to participate in the tourney, set to begin on August 29. It's a stark contrast to Wimbledon.
U.S. Tennis Association CEO and executive director Lew Sherr said that the USTA Board came to their decision on Russian and Belarusian ATP players due to their concerns about punishing these athletes for the actions of their country.
The ATP echoed such a sentiment earlier, as the Tour believed the Wimbledon ban to be “discrimination” on an association home to occupants from more than 30 countries.
Thanks to the US Open's major decision, Russian and Belarusian players will be present at Flushing Meadows come August and September.
