COURT DRAMA

Wimbledon Will Allow Russian and Belarusian Players to Compete This Year

But they’ll have to enter the tournament as “neutral athletes.”

Russian and Belarusian tennis players will be allowed to compete at this year’s Wimbledon, the tournament’s organizers said in a statement Friday. The move formally ends a ban imposed on the athletes following the invasion of Ukraine last year. “Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players subject to them competing as ‘neutral’ athletes and complying with appropriate conditions,” the statement read, adding that players will not be allowed to express support for the invasion or accept funding from either the Russian or Belarusian states. “We continue to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine,” Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club, said. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted.”