Wimbledon has faced the brunt of WTA and ATP after imposing a ban on the Russian and Belarusian players. The major had been considering the action for some time. It then decided to ban the players, which received both support and discontent from various players. However, Wimbledon might now just still for long and there is news of it taking an action against both ATP and WTA.
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Wimbledon threatens legal suit against WTA and ATP
The organizers of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tennis tournament are now thinking of a course of action to counter the step taken by WTA and ATP. They are considering taking legal action against them, for stripping Wimbledon of ranking points. This happened following its ban on the Russian and Belarusian players from playing the grass court major.
As the world ranking points row intensifies, Wimbledon organisers are exploring the possibility of legal action against the ATP and WTA tours. It is understood that the other grand slams could offer their support as a joint action. https://t.co/ySN5PSZH4t
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) May 25, 2022
The grounds for this lawsuit against the Women Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) might be a potential breach of a long-standing agreement. This agreement allowed the All England Club to offer points to players for their performance.
READ MORE: ‘There Is a War Going On’- Iga Swiatek Makes a Statement on Wimbledon’s Points Being Stripped Off
Moreover, other majors like the Australian Open, the Roland Garros, and the US Open, can support the organizers of Wimbledon.
via Reuters
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts during his final match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev | Credits: Reuters
Effects on players
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The move by Wimbledon and further actions leading to it getting stripped off of ranking points have had a diverged amount of reactions. Major Russian players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev and Belarusian players like Victoria Azarenka will not be able to participate in the major. Moreover, players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have criticized the banning of players by Wimbledon.
via Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 21, 2022. Japan’s Naomi Osaka looks dejected after losing her third-round match against Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Naomi Osaka has shown her discontent towards not being able to gain points at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic will end up losing his topmost rank on the ATP ranking chart because of this. On the other hand, Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina appreciated the move by Wimbledon. Conclusively, the point of contention has been if sports should be a part of politics or not.
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What do you think about the move by Wimbledon to ban the Russian and Belarusian players?
