Wimbledon 2022: Tournament organizers appeal WTA’s $1 million fine for ban on Russia

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) fined Wimbledon organizers one million dollars for banning Russian and Belarusian players from joining the tournament, and the All England Club and Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) are appealing the penalty.

The WTA women’s professional tennis tour imposed a penalty of $750,000 on the LTA and $250,000 on the All England Club. Women’s No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 20 Victoria Azarenka, both of Belarus, are among the athletes affected by the prohibition.

Wimbledon organizers appeal WTA decision

All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton says they have already filed their appeal. The LTA is a separate body and are dealing with the matter in their own capacity.

At the moment, the ATP men’s tennis tour has not handed down a fine on the organizers of The Championships, although both the WTA and the ATP have decided not to award ranking points to participants in the competition.

Wimbledon stands by prohibition

Bolton said that Wimbledon stands by the decision which they arrived at with a lot of thought, and expressed disappointment at the tours’ response to the ban.

Russians Daniil Medvedev, ranked No. 1 in the world, and No. 8 Andrey Rublev are those excluded from the men’s contest.

The ban on players was also implemented at the events in the run-up to Wimbledon held at Eastbourne, Nottingham, and Birmingham.

Wimbledon announced in April that due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they would not allow players from Russia and Belarus to take part in the Grand Slam event. Novak Djokovic and other tennis icons were among those who voiced their opposition to the ban.