Wimbledon 2013 winner and member of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Marion Bartoli expressed her regret over the admission of the Russians to the tournament in 2023. Her words are quoted by Tennis Majors.
“LTA were probably the only ones who supported the idea of expelling Russians and Belarusians. They tried their best, but, unfortunately, they were left with no other options, ”said Bartoli.
She noted that the decision to return the national teams of Russia and Belarus to the tournament was made, among other things, in order not to deprive British players of the opportunity to play at home tournaments on a grass court and earn rating points.
On March 31, the LTA, which organizes Wimbledon, announced the decision to admit Russian and Belarusian tennis players to the tournament in 2023. Earlier it was reported that sanctions might be imposed on the organization due to the ban imposed on athletes.
In the spring of 2022, Russian tennis players were refused admission to tournaments in the UK, which is why domestic athletes were forced to miss Wimbledon. In other ATP and WTA competitions, the Russians play in a neutral status.
