Kristina Mladenovic Handed Hefty Fine Over ‘Off Court’ Incident At Wimbledon

The decision to remove the ban imposed on Russian and Belarussian players participating at Wimbledon has been branded as ‘immoral’ by a senior member of the Ukrainian government. 

On Friday The All England Club issued a statement saying their ‘current intention’ is to invite players from those two countries to their tournament this year. In 2022 Britain became the only country to impose a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian players participating in tennis events on their soil as a result of the war in Ukraine. Officials said their decision to do so was based on advice issued by their government who was concerned Russia could use the events as propaganda. 

However, both the ATP and WTA slammed the move. The governing bodies removed the option of awarding rankings points at those events in protest and later issued a fine to the Lawn Tennis Association. It is understood that the U-turn in the AELTC’s policy this year has been influenced by pressure being put on them by tennis’ governing bodies who argue that players shouldn’t be published for the actions of their governments.  

“We continue to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine,” AELTC chairman Ian Hewitt said in a statement. 
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted.
“It is our view that, considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for The Championships for this year. We are thankful for the Government’s support as we and our fellow tennis stakeholder bodies have navigated this complex matter and agreed on conditions we believe are workable.
“If circumstances change materially between now and the commencement of The Championships, we will consider and respond accordingly.”

Under the new policy, players from Russia and Belarus will only be allowed to play in the event under a neutral status. A rule which has been in force on the Tennis Tour’s since last year. Furthermore, those who receive state funding or have endorsements with companies linked to their government are ineligible to play. It is unclear how LTA and AELTC will check to see if players have received such funding or not. 

As a result of the decision, Grand Slam champions Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka will be allowed to play at Wimbledon this year. 

The move has triggered an angry response from Ukraine whose government has urged Britain to refuse to issue visas to those players. Russia began their military operations against its neighbour on February 24th 2022. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has confirmed that at least 8410 civilians have been killed in the conflict and a further 14,023 injured as of March 27th 2023. 

“Wimbledon’s decision to permit the participation of Russian and Belarusian players is immoral,” Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, wrote on social media. 
“Has Russia ceased its aggression or atrocities? No, it’s just that Wimbledon decided to accommodate two accomplices in crime. I call on the UK government to deny visas to their players.”

In contrast, both the ATP and WTA have described the u-turn as a ‘workable solution’ that it says helps protect the ‘fairness of the game.’ 

“We are pleased that all players will have an opportunity to compete at Wimbledon and LTA events this summer. It has taken a collaborative effort across the sport to arrive at a workable solution, which protects the fairness of the game. This remains an extremely difficult situation, and we would like to thank Wimbledon and the LTA for their efforts in reaching this outcome, while reiterating our unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine.” A joint-statement reads.

The Wimbledon Championships will begin on July 3rd. Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina are the reigning champions.