"Wimbledon set an example but nobody followed it": Ukraine tennis chief admits disappointment in ban U-turn

Evgeniy Zukin has stated that Ukrainian Tennis Federation (UTF) is not happy with the participation of Russian and Belarussian players in Wimbledon 2023.

The third Grand Slam of the year will be played from 03 to 16 of July in London.

Last year, the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) banned the participation of players from Russia and Belarus in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine.

Both European countries are going through an armed conflict since February 2022 which has resulted in the loss of lives on both sides.

That decision was widely criticised which led to AELTC overturning the move this year.

However, despite allowing the player from both countries to participate in the event, the authorities have asked the players to sign a declaration form where they will confirm that they are not carrying the sponsorship of any entity whose individuals are a part of their state apparatus and they are also not accepting any funds from their respective federal governments.

Zukin, who is the Executive Director of the UTF, while speaking to Ubitennis, stated that his federation is not happy with AELTC’s decision to overturn the ban on Russian and Belarussians players. He also criticised the other bodies of now following in the footsteps of AELTC.

“We are not happy that Russians and Belarussians are playing in these events,” he said. “Wimbledon set an example last year (with their ban) but nobody followed it. We understand that they can’t stay as the only tournament not allowing them to participate.

"Their declaration is better than no declaration. But it would be better if such a declaration was signed across the whole Tour. This is the position of our Federation.”