Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev won the '21 U.S. OpenGetty Images
The USTA is expected to confirm that "no politically motivated bans will be applied to the player field" at the upcoming U.S. Open, according to Simon Briggs of the London TELEGRAPH. One key difference between the USTA and All England Club's decisions is that there was "no instruction from the US government to limit Russian sporting propaganda opportunities." In the U.K., by contrast, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston had "expressed the government’s desire to avoid Russian victories at Wimbledon, for fear of handing positive PR to Vladimir Putin." While the members of the USTA board were "open to a discussion of the options," the "hardline stance of the two professional tours -- the ATP and WTA -- must have been a factor in their eventual decision." Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is "still expected to be unable to participate" in the event, as there are "no plans to relax American immigration rules that require incoming travellers to have undergone vaccination for Covid" (London TELEGRAPH, 6/14).
SIGNIFICANT BOOST: In London, Stuart Fraser notes Serena Williams has announced that she "will play at Wimbledon." This is a "significant boost" for Wimbledon organizers in a year when "no ranking points will be on offer." The ATP and WTA tours last month "stripped the championships of points in retaliation for the ban of players from Russia and Belarus while the invasion of Ukraine is ongoing." This had "seen some players refer to Wimbledon as an 'exhibition,'" but the appearance of Williams shows "how prestigious the oldest tennis tournament in the world remains even without ranking points" (LONDON TIMES, 6/14).
