Russian and Belarusian players were barred from Wimbledon 2022 and five LTA grass-court events; the ATP fined the LTA £820,000, and the ban was lifted in March 2023.
Players from Russia and Belarus were barred from Wimbledon 2022 and from the Lawn Tennis Association's grass-court events. The All England Lawn Tennis Club and the LTA announced the decision on 20 April 2022. Sky Sports reported that Russians and Belarusians were prevented from competing at the LTA's five ATP events: Queen's Club, Eastbourne, Surbiton, Nottingham and Ilkley.
In a statement dated the same day, the WTA said it was "very disappointed" and that "individual athletes should not be penalized or prevented from competing due to where they are from, or the decisions made by the governments of their countries". Sky Sports reported that the ATP and the WTA subsequently stripped Wimbledon of its ranking points.
On 7 December 2022 the ATP fined the LTA £820,000. Sky Sports reported that the LTA was understood to have been threatened with expulsion from the tour if it repeated the ban, and that the WTA had fined the LTA the same amount.
The LTA said the ATP had shown "no recognition of the exceptional circumstances created by Russia's invasion of Ukraine". Sky Sports reported that the LTA had appealed the WTA sanction while still considering its response to the ATP fine. The same report records UK Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan urging the ATP and WTA to reconsider.
The Associated Press reported that on 31 March 2023 the All England Club reversed the ban and allowed Russian and Belarusian players to compete as neutral athletes, subject to signing declarations of neutrality and complying with "appropriate conditions", including not expressing support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Sources
- Sky Sports, April 2022
Where it stands
Reversed: the All England Club lifted the ban on 31 March 2023 and admitted Russian and Belarusian players as neutral athletes on signed declarations. The LTA appealed the WTA sanction and said it was considering its response to the ATP fine; no reporting of the outcome of that appeal was located. The only fine amount stated in the source is the ATP's £820,000; the WTA fine is described only as the same amount. The ban was publicly contested at the time by the WTA, the ATP and the UK Culture Secretary, from opposing positions.