A dramatic and unprecedented decision by the ATP. Tonight (Friday) an official announcement was made that no rating points will be awarded for participation and achievements in the upcoming Wimbledon Grand Slam, this is because participation in the Grand Slam was banned for tennis players from Russia and Belarus following the invasion and war in Ukraine.
“The ability of players from all over the world to enter and participate in tournaments based on their ability and without any discrimination is the basis for our round,” the ATP said in an official statement.
“As long as there is no change, in great sorrow and reluctance we have no choice but to announce the cancellation of the ATP ranking points at the Wimbledon competition in 2022,” it was further written.
The heads of the All England Club, the organizers of the London tournament, were made clear that their unique independent status allows them to veto and thus ban the participation of Russian and Belarusian players who will not defend Putin, but now the ATP response has arrived. As is well known, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam whose organizers have made such a decision, unlike other tournaments in the round that feared lawsuits.
Although the kingdom is fighting hard against the Russian oligarchs and trying to influence the war in Ukraine as much as they can, the decision of the Wimbledon leaders hurts many athletes, led by the world-ranked Russian Danil Medvedev. Now the ATP has decided in a precedent-setting move that in the upcoming competition no ranking points will be awarded due to this.