Russian athletes and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to participate in the National Bank Open in Montreal and Toronto in August, at least for now.
Tennis Canada told The Canadian Press that there is no outright ban on these athletes from participating in the tournaments. The statement followed an announcement on Wednesday that players from those countries would not be allowed to play at Wimbledon towards the end of June due to the war in Ukraine.
“Tennis Canada will follow the recommendations and decisions made by the ATP and WTA regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian players,” the organization said in a statement.
“At present, players from these nations are allowed to participate in international tennis events on the circuit, but they cannot compete under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus until further notice. . »
ATP numbers 2 and 8, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, as well as WTA number 4, Aryna Sabalenka, could therefore take part in the Omnium.
However, Tennis Canada has not ruled out the possibility of that changing.
“As we have done since the beginning of the conflict, we will continue to monitor the situation and react accordingly, in collaboration with the governing bodies of tennis,” the organization said.
“Tennis Canada stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and our hearts go out to all Ukrainians living inside or outside the country. We really hope that peace will prevail soon. »
The National Bank Open men’s tournament will take place from August 5 to 14 in Montreal, while the women will play in Toronto from August 6 to 14.