After being told they could not attend Wimbledon last year, tennis players from Russia and Belarus are expected to once again be allowed to compete at the tournament in 2023.
The All England Club is on the verge of reversing the ban that meant athletes from those countries were prevented from competing at SW19 last year. Wimbledon was the only major tournament to take such drastic measures amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in the ATP and WTA stripping the competition of its ranking points.
Players from Russia and Belarus—a willing ally in year-long siege—will still be required to compete under a neutral flag, however. And the Daily Mail reported competitors face being booted from the tournament if they show any support for President Vladimir Putin's invasion.
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Wimbledon's easing of restrictions would mean both men's and women's draws in London will witness the return of some significant title threats. Namely the likes of former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev (both Russian) as well as Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who won her maiden major at the Australian Open in January.
It was reported last year that Wimbledon's ban was 'sparked by the fear' of seeing a member of the Royal Family present a trophy to a champion from one of the countries complicit in the war. Moscow-born Elena Rybakina did end up clinching the women's crown and her first Grand Slam title, though she's competed under the Kazakh flag since 2018.
Medvedev, 27, made a point of ignoring Novak Djokovic's triumph over Nick Kyrgios in the men's final, taking to social media to show he was watching Formula 1's Austrian Grand Prix instead. Sabalenka, 24, later confessed she didn't watch Wimbledon "at all" but caught some of Rybakina's win over Ons Jabeur.
Although tournament organisers are yet to confirm any decision, the tennis world is expecting clarity ahead of the competition's July 3 start date. Warm-up tournaments at Queen’s and Eastbourne are also at risk of being moved to alternative venues if the Lawn Tennis Association persists with any ban.
It's understood Wimbledon has proposed players sign a 'code of conduct' prior to competing at London, which would define certain banned actions during the tournament. This could include restrictions over how they interact with fans after Djokovic's father, Srdjan, was seen taking photos with Russian supporters at the Australian Open and cried: "Long Live Russia!"
The world marked the first anniversary of Russia's assault on neighbouring Ukraine on February 24. United Nations figures from March 5 suggested a little more than 8,100 Ukrainian civilians have been killed as a result of the invasion, while roughly 13,600 more have been injured.
