The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Friday that top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and former men’s No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will continue to compete under neutral status.
This decision comes despite a recent political shift by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding athletes from Belarus.
On Thursday, the IOC stated that athletes from Belarus could once again compete under their national identity, reversing the need for neutral status amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions due to the war in Ukraine. However, the ITF clarified that its stance on the suspensions of Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations remains unchanged.
ITF’s Position on Suspensions
The ITF confirmed that the IOC’s recent announcement does not affect its existing position concerning the suspensions of the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations, which will continue. The organization stated, ‘The membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation will be considered at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the ITF’s voting member nations.’
Background on Player Participation
Aryna Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam winner from Belarus, and Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion from Russia currently ranked No. 9, have both been competing without national identification since the onset of the war in Ukraine. This includes the absence of flags next to their names in competitions.
Additionally, both nations have faced bans from participating in prestigious team events such as the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, with several tennis events in these countries also canceled.