Wimbledon is holding peace talks with the ATP and WTA this week in a bid to end the tennis civil war over allowing Russian and Belarusian players to return to SW19 this summer.
- The Wimbledon chief executive is set to try to end the civil war in tennis in talks this week
- Sally Bolton prepares to confirm the return of the Russians and Belarusians to SW19
- The tournament controversially banned players last year because of the war in Ukraine
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton will hold peace talks with her ATP and WTA counterparts this week to confirm the return of Russian and Belarusian players this summer and end the civil war that has divided tennis.
sportsmail It was revealed earlier this month that Wimbledon was close to overturning its controversial bans on Russians and Belarusians from SW19, a decision that will be confirmed in talks between Bolton, ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi and WTA chief executive Steve Simon.
Wimbledon’s unilateral move to ban Russians last year had disastrous consequences for British tennis.
The ATP and WTA have both issued fines of £820,000 to the Lawn Tennis Association and world ranking points taken from last summer’s tournaments.
The league was also threatened with expulsion from the men’s and women’s tours and the loss of lucrative pre-Wimbledon events such as Queen’s, Edgbaston and Eastbourne, which would have cost the sport up to £20 million.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton is set to hold peace talks this week which are set to end the civil war in tennis and assure the return of Russian and Belarusian players to SW19.
Last year, they were prevented from participating in the historic tournament due to the ongoing war in Ukraine
Wimbledon has already extended the invitation to welcome the Russians back to SW19 after receiving support from the government.
This week’s talks are likely to focus on how that decision will be introduced and whether any restrictions will be placed on those players who participate.
Officials at the All England Club are determined to ensure that Russian athletes are seen to be competing as individuals and not for the good of their country.
As previously mentioned before sportsmail They may be required to sign a code of conduct with severe penalties if they express any support for Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Wimbledon’s decision to overturn the ban will be welcomed by the rest of the sport, particularly the LTA, who generate nearly 30 percent of their annual income from staging grass court events each summer.
