Wimbledon lifts ban on Russian and Belarusian players that was imposed after Ukraine invasion

Russian and Belarusian athletes are now cleared to compete in Wimbledon this season. On Friday, the All England Club lifted a ban that restricted those players from competition.

The players can participate as neutral athletes. However, there are certain conditions that come with re-gained access. Each athlete must comply with “appropriate conditions” and not express support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Other conditions include eschewing funding from Russian and Belarusian states. This includes sponsorships from companies that operate or are controlled in those nations.

“We also consider alignment between the Grand Slams to be increasingly important in the current tennis environment,” the All England Club said. “There was a strong and very disappointing reaction from some governing bodies in tennis to the position taken by the All England Club and the LTA (The Lawn Tennis Association) last year with consequences which, if continued, would be damaging to the interests of players, fans, The Championships and British tennis.”

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The Wimbledon logo is seen at The All England Tennis Club on the eve of the start of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament.

According to CNBC, the LTA received a fine and lost world ranking points due to the ban. The reversal helps ease consternation that the LTA would cancel their membership.

All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt released a statement that mentioned the decision to lift the ban was done with consideration of all parties involved.

“We continue to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine,” Hewitt said. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted. It is our view that, considering all factors, these are the most appropriate arrangements for The Championships for this year.”

Russian player Daniil Medvedev is expected to be in the field. He ranks fifth in the world rankings and will get a chance to compete in the major tournament. Aryna Sabalenka, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, is also expected to play after missing last year.

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“The reaction of people, some different things made me feel really bad – that this is my fault,” Sabalenka said, via CNBC. “But then I realized that this is not under my control. I did nothing, nothing bad against Ukrainian people. This is just not my fault.”

Wimbledon is the latest to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete. Other tennis tournaments also require them to participate as neutral athletes. Wimbledon will begin play on July 3.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wimbledon 2023 lifts ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players