The LTA has been fined one million dollars from the ATP after banning Russian players from competing at this year’s grass court tournaments.
This news follows the WTA taking the same action earlier this year after the LTA became the first organisation to ban Russian players from playing its tournaments.
At the moment on the ATP tour Russian players can currently play but play under a neutral flag which is the same thing on the WTA tour.
However the LTA decided to follow the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s decision which was to ban Russian players from playing grass court tournaments in England.
Now the ATP have responded by not only denying players ranking points at the time but have now fined the LTA one million dollars.
In a statement the LTA admitted that they were disappointed with the outcome and await not only the outcome of their appeal against the WTA’s decision but also await what response they will have to the ATP.
There has also been a threat from the ATP that if the LTA were to do the same thing in 2023, then they would face expulsion from the ATP.
However it’s not just the tennis governing bodies that have responded to the ATP as the UK culture secretary Michelle Donlan has also criticised the decision, “Over the past year, the vast majority of the international sporting community have stood shoulder to shoulder in condemning in Putin’s unprovoked and barbaric actions in Ukraine,” Donlan said.
“The UK has taken a world-leading role to build this international response. We are clear that sport cannot be used to legitimise this deadly invasion, and that athletes representing the Russian and Belarusian states should be banned from competing in other countries.
“Despite widespread condemnation, the international tennis tours are determined to be outcasts in this, with investment in the growth of our domestic game hampered as a result.
“This is the wrong move by the ATP and WTA. I urge them to think carefully about the message this sends, and to reconsider.”
What the future holds remains to be seen with just over seven months until Wimbledon.
Whether the LTA’s appeal will be successful will be questionable and whether the ATP and WTA will change their stance is also questionable.
But one thing is for sure and that is the political tensions in tennis and outside of tennis are far from over.
