[WilliamsOhanian]

Unconfirmed at the moment, but Wertheim is typically reliable on these things.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1524073122294419456

UPDATE: further confirmation from Simon Briggs, which means the story will be published in a big UK newspaper shortly.

Questions remaining:

1. Will the WTA follow suit?
2. Does this also mean ATP (and WTA) staff will not work those events, e.g. physios, trainers, communications handlers?
3. Will 2021 points still drop?

I think all three are likely a 'yes'.

edit: I will keep this updated as the story evolves.

 

[Shifty-Eyed Dog]

I fervently hope the WTA will not follow suit.

 

[Goalie30]

Smh the rankings finally got back to normal

 

[Aganim]

Unconfirmed at the moment, but Wertheim is typically reliable on these things.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1524073122294419456

Questions remaining:

1. Will the WTA follow suit?
2. Does this also mean ATP (and WTA) staff will not work those events, e.g. physios, trainers, communications handlers?
3. Will 2021 points still drop?

I think all three are likely a 'yes'.

edit: I will keep this updated as the story evolves.

This is confirmed. Wertheim, despite his terrible predictions is a legitimate source when it comes to sharing tennis info.

They announced BEFORE Madrid already, that they will have a meeting in Madrid - between player representatives (like Azarenka), ATP, WTA, and tournament organizers around the world. This is likely part of what they discussed there. ATP and WTA will make a uniformed decision, like Iga recommended - the tennis bodies should decide together as one unit, and not let a single entity like a tournament or one organization decide which action gets taken. This is actually good that they come up with a solution together.

 

[Latvian]

I hope that WTA is supporting Ukraine and won't follow ATP.

 

[CamdenRadu]

Huge consequences for this if true. It might lead to a split in both the ATP and WTA.

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

This is confirmed. Wertheim, despite his terrible predictions is a legitimate source when it comes to sharing tennis info.

They announced BEFORE Madrid already, that they will have a meeting in Madrid - between player representatives (like Azarenka), ATP, WTA, and tournament organizers around the world. This is likely part of what they discussed there. ATP and WTA will make a uniformed decision, like Iga recommended - the tennis bodies should decide together as one unit, and not let a single entity like a tournament or one organization decide which action gets taken. This is actually good that they come up with a solution together.

Where's the announcement of their decision, then? It's not confirmed until there's an actual release from ATP and WTA about what they are doing to respond to the LTA's ban of certain nations.

 

[Saraya!]

That would be great.

 

[leilamaurizia]

Ridiculous. Instead of just Russian and Belarusian players getting punished, ALL players effectively get punished. A better alternative would have been to freeze the points of affected players.

 

[Aganim]

I hope that WTA is supporting Ukraine and won't follow ATP.

You can support the Ukraine and still decide to make a tennis tournament not award any points because they don't allow players that are supposed to be qualified through a ranking system to participate.

The only way to directly help the Ukraine is with money, maybe they can find a solution where all players are allowed to participate, and all agree to share revenue and prize money with the Ukraine. There are better ways to help the Ukraine than to ban some tennis players from participating in a tournament.

 

[Aganim]

Ridiculous. Instead of just Russian and Belarusian players getting punished, ALL players effectively get punished. A better alternative would have been to freeze the points of affected players.

No. We can't expect players from last year to be able to defend the same points (Sabalenka reached SF last year, but nothing she did this year indicates she is going to make another SF run this year), neither can we expect those who didn't do as well last year to not make more points this year (Alexandrova, Samsonova, etc.). The WTA and ATP are sporting organizations - they need to make sure the ranking system is fair and working. They can't do that if tournaments around the world decide to do whatever they want and exclude players who have earned their right to be there. Not awarding points at Wimbledon does not mean the WTA/ATP are supporting Russia and against the Ukraine, it just means they want to keep the ranking system in tennis as fair as possible and keep up high integrity.

 

[GameSetMatch6060]

I will only believe it...
WHEN, it becomes Official...
As of now, all we have are the Unconfirmed Rants of a Twitter Attention Whore...

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

Huge consequences for this if true. It might lead to a split in both the ATP and WTA.

Not likely. There's no actual consequence for anyone who chooses to play a British event.

I do think it will impact the field of a number of the ATP and WTA events in Britain, but most players will still play Wimbledon because the prize money and prestige are still there. There's nowhere near the solidarity form the 1973 Wimbledon boycott, the prize money is far higher, and the cause is far more favorable (press-wise) to the Brits.

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

Ridiculous. Instead of just Russian and Belarusian players getting punished, ALL players effectively get punished. A better alternative would have been to freeze the points of affected players.

No. There has to be equal treatment across the board.

Wimbledon can give out its trophies and pay its prize money, but the title is asterisked, just like the 1973 Wimbledon and the 1974 French Open.

 

[PatsyStone]

In before fans of MTO-Queen claims that it is a conspiracy against MTO-Queen.

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

In before fans of MTO-Queen claims that it is a conspiracy against MTO-Queen.

Do you mean Sweet EmTO?

If 2021 points from Britain come off the rankings and nothing new can go on, she won't be able to crack the top 10 without something big at RG or one of the North American 1000s.

 

[guitarra]

So it's a rumour and a bombshell at the same time?

Anyway, hoping that a rumour remains a rumour.

 

[gonzo79]

Good. They should keep part of their paychecks as well and give them to the Russians that are not allowed to work for no reason.

 

[WilliamsOhanian]

So it's a rumour and a bombshell at the same time?

Anyway, hoping that a rumour remains a rumour.

I didn't see a 'Rumour' tag on the new thread tab.

 

[SanFranMirzaLover]

I remember when Shahar Peer was refused a visa to play in Dubai, the WTA made sure that she received the points that she got from the previous year and I believe that she got the prize money too.

I believe that WTA will do one of the two things -
1) Have no points for the tournaments in UK or
2) Grant all Russians the points they receive from 2021.

I don't think they can make Wimbledon pay the Russians players an equivalent prize money for their performance of 2021.

I prefer that they have no points for the tournaments in the UK. It's an unfair to the Russians tennis players who have done absolutely nothing wrong with Ukraine. It's like punishing a kid for the crimes of her father.

I was just thinking that what if group of individuals belonging to a religion or a race or a sexual orientation start doing something that's unacceptable to Wimbledon, would Wimbledon than ban all members that identify with that group even though the players had nothing to do with the activity?