Russian and Belarusian players allowed at US Open tennis under neutral flag

The American Tennis Federation (USTA), which manages the US Open, stresses that it has “already condemned and continues to condemn the unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia” and that it has “supported the banning of the Russian and Belarusian tennis federations from the ITF (the international federation, editor’s note) and therefore from all international team competitions, as well as the directive requiring players from these countries to play under a neutral flag when ‘they compete outside of international team competitions. The USTA has therefore decided to allow “all eligible players, regardless of nationality, to participate in the US Open”.

The Russian Daniil Medvedev, world No.1, will be able to defend his title at Flushing Meadows. Wimbledon, the Grand Slam on grass, which begins on June 27, has on the other hand prohibited the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes. A decision that made the ATP and the WTA jump, in charge of the men’s and women’s circuits. The two associations are threatening to withdraw the points awarded for the 2022 edition of the London tournament.

–