(Melbourne) Former American champion Billie Jean King has asked the organizers of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian players playing the London tournament on Wednesday in Melbourne.

“Do like the others [tournois du Grand Chelem] […] Life is too short,” Billie Jean King told reporters on the sidelines of the Australian Open, as the All England Tennis Club, organizer of the English tournament, plans to maintain this coercive measure, taken last year. in retaliation against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

“I think they should get the bonuses. Let them play and get their money,” BJK added.

The champion with 12 Grand Slam titles also declared herself in favor of the attribution of points, acquired according to the results and which determine the world ranking.

Rybakina only inherited (at the Australian Open where the Kazakh qualified for the semi-finals) the seeded N.22, and no better, when she won at Wimbledon (last year) , was offended Billie Jean King.

In 2022, after coming under pressure from the government to impose a ban, the British Tennis Federation (LTA) and the All England Tennis Club banned Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon.

In the process, the ATP and the WTA, which govern the men’s and women’s circuits, replied that this 2022 edition of the Grand Slam tournament would not bring points in the standings.

The other three Grand Slam tournaments – Australian Open, Roland-Garros and US Open – allow Russian and Belarusian players to play, to pocket their bonuses and their points, but under a neutral banner.

1^er January, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who qualified for Thursday’s women’s singles semi-finals at the Australian Open, felt that the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players from Wimbledon last year had served no purpose and that she “really hoped” for a change of course in 2023.