It’s still unclear whether tennis will be affected, but it’s very concerning to hear that Ukrainian government has banned its national sports teams from participating in competitions that include athletes from Russia or Belarus.
Triggered by the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals, the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports issued a decree that bans Ukrainians from competing in Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic events if Russians and Belarusians are included in those competitions.
The ban clearly refers to national sports teams and not to individual athletes, but we’ll see whether it will have any implications in tennis. Moreover, even though Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to play tennis tournaments under a neutral flag, including Wimbledon, they have been excluded from team competitions, such as the Billie Jean King Cup, pretty much since the start of the war.
The Ministry’s decision is bizarre as it will hurt Ukrainian athletes more than anyone. Ukrainian women’s tennis players have been urging the WTA to provide them with a peaceful work environment by excluding players from their enemy countries, but instead, it looks like the Ukrainians are threatened to be excluded by…
