NEW: The LTA has been fined $1m (£820,000) by the ATP for banning Russian and Belarusian players from its events last year. The LTA say they are considering their response to the sanction. Official statement below.
ATP fines LTA for banning Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon
ATPWednesday, 07 December 2022 at 19:30
ATP has fined the LTA $1.49 million for banning Russian and Belarussian players from the 2022 edition of Wimbledon.
The decision of the LTA to exclude ATP and WTA players from the Wimbledon Championship was widely criticised but the national governing body of British tennis did not budge from it. They followed the instructions of the British government who feared that it could be used as propaganda by Russia.
In an ironic twist, an ethnic Russian Elena Rybakina won the event albeit under the flag of Kazakhstan. The decision to issue a heavy fine to the LTA prompted a response from the organization:
"The LTA is deeply disappointed with this outcome. The ATP, in its findings, has shown no recognition of the exceptional circumstances created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the international sporting community and UK Government’s response to that invasion.
"The financial impact of both this fine and the WTA’s fine will have a material impact on the LTA’s ability to develop and host tennis in this country. For example, we had intended to host a number of ATP Challenger level events to give more opportunities to lower ranked players in the first quarter of 2023 and will now not be able to do this, particularly given the possibility of further fines."
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