October 12, (THEWILL) – When the Australian Open begins in January, Russians and Belarusians will be eligible to participate as neutrals.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, tennis officials banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in international competitions. However, they were still permitted to compete in ATP and WTA Tour events.
Now, Athletes from both countries will be permitted to compete in the 2023 Grand Slam, which begins in Melbourne on January 16th, according to Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley.
He said: “At this point, Russian and Belarusian players will be eligible to play in the Australian Open,” Tiley told reporters. The only difference will be that they cannot represent Russia – cannot represent the flag of Russia.
“They cannot participate in any activity such as the anthem of Russia and they have to play as independent players under a neutral name. But they will be welcome to the Australian Open in January.”
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
