‘It Won’t Be Something We Support’ – WTA Chief Makes His Stance Clear on Rising Concern to Ban Russian and Belarusian Athletes

The Eastern European conflict has taken a massive toll on the affected regions. Additionally, the global economy has also taken a hit, with supply-chain disruptions and rising oil prices. The sporting world is no exception. Further, various sporting bodies and leagues across the globe have undertaken major decisions in regards to this conflict that have changed the dynamics of the game. The governing bodies of tennis, i.e. the ATP, the WTA, and the ITF have followed suit.

Recently, the Women’s Tennis Association head, Steve Simon, gave his opinions on actions taken against Russian and Belarusian athletes.

WTA head against banning athletes due to political tensions

Steve Simon felt that it was not right to bar the athletes from participating in competitions due to geopolitical tensions. Explaining his views, he said, “You never know what the future may bring. But I can tell you that we have never banned athletes from participating on our tour as the result of political positions their leadership may take.”

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Further, Simon added, “So it would take something very significant for that to change, but again we don’t know where this is going. I feel very strongly that these individual athletes should not be the ones that are being penalized by the decisions of an authoritarian leadership that is obviously doing terrible, reprehensible things. But if that happens… it won’t be something we support.”

What actions have been taken against the Russian and the Belarusian tennis players?

There have been growing calls to ban tennis players from Russia and Belarus. However, the athletes from these two countries will continue to play individually in the tournaments. The condition is that they’ll have to play under a neutral flag. This comes as a huge relief to some of the top tennis stars like Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka.

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However, the governing body has barred the two countries from participating in the team events. Therefore, the athletes of these countries wouldn’t be able to participate in the Davis Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the ATP Cup. We hope that the situation eases down soon and things return to normal.