LONDON — The highly-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev will persist in competing under a neutral flag, as the International Tennis Federation confirmed on Friday that its stance on the suspensions for Belarus and Russia will remain unchanged.
In a notable political development on Thursday, the International Olympic Committee declared that athletes from Belarus are now allowed to represent their country without restrictions on their national identity, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The International Tennis Federation asserts that the IOC’s announcement does not impact its current position regarding the suspensions of the Belarus and Russian Tennis Federations, which will continue,” stated the ITF.
Furthermore, the ITF revealed, “The membership status of the Belarus Tennis Federation is set to be reviewed at the ITF Annual General Meeting in October by the federation’s voting member nations.”
Sabalenka, a proud four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, and Medvedev, who captured the U.S. Open title in 2021 and currently ranks No. 9, are both navigating this complex landscape.
Since the onset of the conflict, athletes from Belarus and Russia have competed without national identities, playing under neutral designations. Both nations are also excluded from prestigious events like the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, with many tournaments in these countries being canceled.
