International Tennis Board Unites Voices To Condemn Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The combined international tennis bodies consisting of the ATP, WTA, ITF, and the four Grand Slam boards namely the Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon, and Roland Garros have united their voices condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine by issuing several decisions today.

In condemnation, the international tennis bodies issued and approved the following decisions and actions:

1. The WTA Council and ATP have decided to postpone the joint event under the auspices of the two organizations in October in Moscow, Russia.

2. The ITF Council suspended the membership of the Russian Tennis Federation and the Belarus Tennis Federation, and revoked their participation in all ITF international team competitions until further notice. This action follows the indefinite cancellation of all ITF tournaments in Russia and Belarus.

3. For now, players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete in international tennis events on the Tour and Grand Slam. However, they will compete without the names or flags of the two countries until further notice.

Through in-depth discussions, the international tennis body considers the safety of the sports community as an urgent collective priority so that all input and opinions from athletes to former athletes are considered for international tennis bodies to take action.

"Deep feelings of distress, shock, and sadness have been felt by the entire tennis community following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in the past week. We voice again the call for violence to end and peace to return", the ATP said on its website on Wednesday.

In recent days, the WTA and ATP have also contacted members of the tennis community such as active tennis players, former tennis players, and members of organizations from Ukraine to neighboring countries to check their safety and provide assistance.