British tournaments forbid tennis players from displaying Russian flag during matches

Moscow, March 31 – Fans and tennis players will not be able to display the flags of Russia and Belarus at tournaments organized by the UK Tennis Association (LTA), according to the organisation’s website.

LTA notes that the tournaments will have a zero-tolerance policy for any flags, symbols, or other actions in support of Russia, Belarus, or NVO by anyone in the venues, including tennis players and spectators.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) announced on Friday that it has accepted Russian and Belarusian tennis players to participate in the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in a neutral position.

In April 2022, due to the situation in Ukraine, the AELTC refused to allow Russian and Belarusian tennis players into Wimbledon, who are eligible to participate in the ATP and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments in neutral status. In response, the associations fined the British organizations and Wimbledon was stripped of its ranking points. It was reported that the LTA could be suspended from holding competitions under the auspices of the ATP and WTA if it again banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the tournaments.