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War in Ukraine - exclusion of Medvedev, Rublev, Sabalenka and Co.?

The IOC has recommended banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions. What does this mean for the tennis circuit?

by Jens Huiber
last edit: Mar 01, 2022, 07:10 am

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Will Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev play in Davis Cup this year?
© Getty Images
Will Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev play in Davis Cup this year?

When even the International Olympic Committee (IOC) feels compelled to call for sanctions against Russia, it almost turns the sporting world on its head. Because nobody was more loyal to Vladimir Putin's regime than German IOC President Thomas Bach. State-organized doping fraud like in Sochi 2014 or not - then the Russian athletes run under the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Its logo is known to be adorned with a flame in the Russian national colors.

In view of Russia's escalating war of aggression against Ukraine, the IOC recommended on Monday that its member associations exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competitions. In football, it's already a done deal: First, the European football association, UEFA, excluded Spartak Moscow, the last club remaining in international competitions, from the Europa League. FIFA, the world governing body, followed suit a few hours later. Which means that Russia will not take part in the World Cup in Qatar in November this year. The Russian team should have survived a playoff before that.

Will the ITF ban Russia from the Davis Cup?

What does this mean for the tennis circuit? First of all, nothing. Neither the ATP nor the WTA are members of the IOC. Whether Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev or Aryna Sabalenka can continue to compete in tournaments is up to the organizers. Or the responsible authorities in those countries where the events of the professional tour are held. What the ATP can influence: The staging of tournaments. The ATP Challenger event in Moscow was canceled this week, and the traditional 250 tournament in St. Petersburg will not take place either (although they want to go to a higher category there - and have therefore decided not to hold it in 2022).

But who is in trouble? The International Tennis Federation ITF. With the Davis Cup, he is organizing the only competition in which national teams provided by the individual associations compete against each other (this is not the case with the ATP Cup - there the best-ranked player decides on the right to participate and the team composition). And since the ITF is also responsible for hosting the Olympic tennis tournament, President David Haggerty and Co. will have to listen very carefully to the IOC's recommendation. Because Russia won the Davis Cup last year and is therefore qualified for the final round in 2022. So, strictly speaking, the ITF should show the Russian team the door. However, does this really happen? Time is ticking for the ITF - and Russia. Because the finale is only scheduled for November. Oh, yes: the same scenario also applies to women. Because Russia won the final of the Billie Jean King Cup in Prague at the end of 2021.

Kostyuk takes the WTA to task

After Elina Svitolina expressed her helplessness in an interview with Eurosport, but also her willingness to donate her prize money from the upcoming tournaments to Ukrainian organizations, Marta Kostyuk became even clearer: she took the WTA to task and called on the players' organization to cancel all tournaments in Russia immediately. However, the current calendar until the end of August does not show any WTA tournament on Russian soil at the moment.

As is well known, Svitolina also drew a personal consequence at the WTA tournament in Monterrey: The Ukrainian, who was seeded in first place, refused to compete against Anastasia Potapova from Russia. Which was not directed personally against her opponent, but against the inaction of the WTA.

by Jens Huiber

Tuesday
Mar 01, 2022, 08:05 am
last edit: Mar 01, 2022, 07:10 am