Wimbledon flags Russia as one of the venues for this year’s tournament – and Russian journalists have been told they are not welcome despite players being greeted as ‘neutral’
- Wimbledon chiefs will not allow Russian flags at this summer’s tournament
- Officials took a strong stance amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- The tournament will not be shown in Russia and the Russian media will not welcome it
Wimbledon has moved to ban Russian flags from this summer’s tournament as officials continue to take a tough stance on the country following their invasion of Ukraine.
While the rules have been relaxed to allow Russian stars to compete as neutrals, the organizers have updated their regulations to ban references or symbols of support for Russia or Belarus.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton confirmed the news on Tuesday ahead of this year’s edition at the All England Club, which will start on July 3 and run until July 16.
“Our terms and conditions of entry have been updated this year,” it said in a statement.
This would prohibit the bringing to the ground of any Russian or Belarusian flags, as well as any other symbols or signals of support for the war or the two regimes.
Wimbledon has announced that Russian flags will be banned at the upcoming tournament this summer
The All England Club took a tough approach to order amid their invasion of the Ukraine
Russian and Belarusian media will also not be allowed to attend the tournament in SW19
Bolton also added that the tournament will not be broadcast in Russia or Belarus – and that Russian journalists would not be welcome to attend SW19 either.
“Gate teams will be well briefed on what can and cannot come into the ground,” she continued.
“The tournament will not be held in Russia or Belarus,” Bolton added. “The Russian media is not welcome in the tournament.”
Wimbledon surrendered last month to banning Russian players at this year’s tournament, stripping the All England club of ranking points when it imposed the ban last year.
However, the decision to allow stars from the country to compete comes with strict conditions. Any player who carries a flag or promotes the country can be penalized in any way – including potentially expelled from the tournament.
Officials have reversed their decision to ban Russian stars like Daniil Medvedev – but they must all compete under a neutral flag.
This comes despite no change in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022
That means fans will get to see the likes of former world number one Daniil Medvedev and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka – but they must be competing under a neutral flag.
Russian stars could also be asked to sign a code of conduct ahead of the tournament – but they wouldn’t be forced to declare opposition to the war in Ukraine, as then-Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston suggested last year.
Wimbledon will continue to show its support for the Ukrainian nation by making donations to the country and offering tickets to Ukrainian refugees.
They will also cooperate with LTA to fund the cost of two room accommodations for all Ukraine main draw and qualifying players and their team members.
