French Open Makes a Statement After Wimbledons’ Ban on Russian and Belarusian Players

The geopolitical situation in the world is quite tense now, and its fallout has affected the world of sports too. Recently Wimbledon, as a sign of protest announced that they will not be allowing Russian and Belarusian players to be a part of the draw at the championships. This move has received widespread criticism from several members of the tennis fraternity. Even the governing bodies, ATP and WTA have said that they do not support this decision and that sports should not become a political scapegoat. Moreover, World No. 1, Novak Djokovic has also reiterated the same sentiment.

Some players have however welcomed this decision, owing to their deep personal connections with the current situation.

French Open releases statement

Following the announcement by Wimbledon, several tournaments have been contemplating what steps they should take. Italian Open for example is considering a blanket ban for the Russian and the Belarusian players. However, the French Open organizers have revealed their stance on the issue.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev Andrey Rublev and Other Russian Tennis Players Banned From Playing at the Wimbledon Championships 2022

This is good news for several top players like Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Aryna Sabalenka, and the veteran Victoria Azarenka, whose future remains uncertain in terms of the tour. Russian and Belarusian players are set to be allowed to play at the French Open. This comes after the Roland Garros organizers decided not to follow the lead of Wimbledon.

Roland Garros revealed that they will not be imposing any restrictions on any players. This is with regards to their country or their country’s political stance. But a French outlet RMC Sport revealed this, and everyone is still waiting for a confirmation by the French Tennis Federation.

Andrey Rublev’s proposal for Wimbledon

Rublev won his 11th ATP title at the Serbia Open, by defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Known as an overall ‘nice’ person on the tour, he was one of the first people to publicly condemn the on-going conflict.
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After the Wimbledon ban, he said that instead of the ban, if allowed to play; he would donate all his earnings from the tournament to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.