“Common sense prevailed”: the organizers of the Australian Open confirmed the participation of Russians and Belarusians

"Why shouldn't the Russians be allowed in?"

Less than two weeks before the start of the Australian Open, the organizers once again confirmed that the Russians and Belarusians will start in it on an equal basis with everyone else.

Tennis Australia emphasized that they will play in a neutral status, as in other tournaments under the auspices of the WTA and ATP.

“Athletes from Russia and Belarus can take part in international competitions only in the individual competition, as well as without flags or mentioning countries.

These rules also apply to the Australian Open,” TA noted.

The host country was not forced to change its mind by the loud statements of Ukraine's Ambassador to Australia Vasily Miroshnichenko in the first days of the New Year.

In an interview with local media, he urged TA to give Russia a "strong signal".

According to the official, for her authorities, sport is a continuation of foreign policy.

“This is one of the reasons why we see how seriously Russia invested in its athletes in the run-up to the Olympics, when it drugged them on a massive scale, for which it was subsequently fined.

Therefore, the Russians pay great attention to the performances of their athletes, which, in general, is a continuation of their foreign policy, what they want to convey to the world, ”Skynews quotes Miroshnichenko.

He considered depriving domestic tennis players of the opportunity to perform under their own flag and anthem insufficient, since even a neutral flag is "stained with Ukrainian blood."

Moreover, the ambassador called on the Russians to hold a special press conference before the start of the Australian Open and condemn the holding of the NWO.

“They cannot participate in any international competitions, especially in democratic states,” he concluded.

However, in the country's Tennis Federation, the final verdict of TA did not surprise anyone.

The head of the organization, Shamil Tarpishchev, recalled that it was known about admission to the Grand Slam tournament six months ago, and there were no reasons for imposing sanctions.

“Why shouldn't the Russians be allowed in?

There was a violation at Wimbledon.

He's not here - all is well.

They have it all in the contract.

I don't see the point in blowing it up.

This is how it should be, ”the Championship quotes the functionary.

Director of the Australian Open Craig Tiley indeed back in October confirmed the participation of Russians and Belarusians as neutral athletes and even stressed that they would be happy to see them in the country.

And in early December, an application list was published, which included 16 domestic representatives.

“Athletes were not banned from participating in the tour because of their political position”

Tennis can be safely called one of the few sports where the Russians were not afraid to be allowed to continue playing.

The only exceptions were team starts, in which national teams take part.

In early March, the Tennis Federations of Russia and Belarus were withdrawn from the ITF.

But most importantly, the players have not lost the opportunity to enter the court, including at the Grand Slam tournaments.

Moreover, the head of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), Steve Simon, opposed their removal for political reasons.

“You never know what the future might bring.

But I can tell you that we have never banned athletes from participating in the tour because of the political position that power can take, ”quotes the head of R-Sport.

However, some countries still introduced restrictions.

The most striking example was Wimbledon.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), under pressure from the government, rejected the applications of Russians and Belarusians to participate in the competition.

This move caused a strong reaction in the world of tennis.

The WTA and ATP also spoke out, calling the inadmissibility discrimination based on nationality.

Colleagues were also supported by individual stars, for example, Novak Djokovic and Martina Navratilova.

However, the WTA and ATP were not limited to words.

To begin with, they decided not to award rating points for participating in Wimbledon.

Then AELTC and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) were fined a total of $2 million. In addition, they were threatened with expulsion from both organizations if Russians and Belarusians were not admitted next year.

“It was clear that the entire tennis community would stand up for the Russians”

According to experts, there is nothing surprising in inviting representatives of both states to the Australian Open.

So, the ex-first racket of the planet Yevgeny Kafelnikov explained the sound position of the developed trade union of players, where everyone defends the interests of each other.

“I did not have the slightest doubt that the Russians would still be allowed to the Australian Open.

You can talk for a long time about the impact of politics on sports, but in tennis everything works a little differently than in other sports, despite the sad example of Wimbledon.

The players' union is very well developed here.

The motto “one for all and all for one” works better in tennis than anywhere else.

It was clear that the entire tennis community, including players, would stand up for the Russians and Belarusians.

Common sense prevailed in this case, ”said the Olympic champion in a RT comment.

At the same time, he does not believe that other species will follow a similar path in the near future.

“Alas, I would not be so optimistic.

Again, things work a little differently here.

So far, I don’t see any prerequisites for lifting restrictions in sports.

It remains for us to be happy for our tennis players, who, albeit in a neutral status, enter the court, win victories and give us pleasure, ”added Kafelnikov.

In turn, the well-known Soviet and Russian tennis player Andrei Olkhovsky recalled that the admission of Russians to the Australian Open had been known for a long time, and accused the media of inflating this scandal.

“Why announce it at all?

For whom?

Right for the press.

It was possible not to announce: the Russians flew to Australia, they play tournaments there on the eve of the Australian Open - why shouldn't they start at the Grand Slam?

Most likely, this is done so that journalists do not have questions that might arise.

Rather, it would be a surprise if they announced the opposite - and then, before the tournaments that have already taken place, ”Gazeta.Ru quoted Olkhovsky as saying.

Agreed with him and 18-time champion of the USSR, commentator Anna Dmitrieva.

Moreover, she did not rule out that in 2023 domestic athletes will have the opportunity to enter the courts of Wimbledon.