- Wimbledon effectively reduced to exhibition event
- Men’s ATP tour said it saw ‘no option’ but to act over ban
The ATP has decided to punish Wimbledon for its decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament by stripping ranking points from the tournament this year.
The decision marks the most significant split among the tennis governing bodies in a long time. It means that Wimbledon will essentially be rendered an exhibition event in the ATP tennis ecosystem, with players unable to earn the ranking points this year as they do at all other official tournaments in the year. Those who performed well at last year’s edition will be unable to defend their points, meaning there could be significant disruption to the rankings. The WTA’s decision is imminent.
