Tennis players from Belarus, Russia to keep playing as neutrals

LONDON — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and former males’s No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will proceed to play below impartial standing after the International Tennis Federation introduced Friday that it’s going to “not change its existing position” over suspensions for Belarus and Russia.

In a political shift Thursday, the International Olympic Committee stated athletes from Belarus ought to as soon as once more compete with their full nationwide identification and never be vetted for impartial standing, even as the conflict in Ukraine continues.

“The International Tennis Federation confirms that the IOC’s announcement does not change its existing position regarding the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations’ suspensions, which remain in place,” the ITF stated.

“The membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation will be considered at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the ITF’s voting member nations,” the worldwide federation added.

Sabalenka, who’s from Belarus, is a four-time Grand Slam winner. Medvedev, who’s from Russia, gained the US Open in 2021 and is now ranked No. 9.

Since the conflict started, tennis players from Belarus and Russia have had to play with their international locations unnamed and with out flags subsequent to their names. Both international locations have additionally been banned from the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup and different ITF workforce competitions; and tennis occasions within the international locations had been cancelled.