‘This Horrible Atrocity Absolutely Weighed on All’- US Open Announces Massive News for Russian and Belarusian Players After Wimbledon’s Ban

Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict raised concerns about their presence in the US Open. The only Grand Slam that was yet to reveal its stand regarding the issue.

However, now with only two months left, the organizers of the tournament have released an official statement. Unlike the Wimbledon Championship, the tournament has decided to host Russian and Belarusian players.

US Open’s decision

On Tuesday, Lew Sherr, the chief executive of the United States Tennis Association, conveyed the its decision regarding Russian and Belarusian players. He said, “This horrible atrocity absolutely weighed on all of us. But I think at the end of the day we chose not to hold the individual athletes accountable for the decisions of their respective governments.”

He further added, “It was very clear each of us was dealing with a unique set of circumstances. Wimbledon, in their case, there was a government directive involved as well. And we came out and strongly supported their decision, given their circumstances.”

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Thereafter, he admitted, “Our circumstances are different, and in our case, we felt this was the right decision for us.” Thus making Wimbledon the only Grand Slam to ban players from Russia and Belarus.

Some prominent Russian and Belarusian players in the US Open

The hard courts of the US Open have witnessed many players touching their peak form, particularly from those countries that are under the scanner in recent months. Some of those are Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka.

While Daniil Medvedev will play as the defending champion in this year’s tournament. Victoria Azarenka has already proven her prowess thrice in the US Open, as she was the runner-up in 2012, 2013 and 2020.

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Sabalenka, the Belarusian, reached the semifinals in last year’s tournament. Further, the 24-year-old Russian tennis ace Andrey Rublev also put forth a significant challenge for his opponents in flushing meadows. Therefore, keeping such high-caliber players out of the event would have decreased the level of competition in this year’s tournament.