“They did nothing wrong” – the head of the ATP on the admission of Russian athletes to the competition

The head of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Andrea Gaudenzi, said he did not support sanctions against Russian athletes, noting that they had done nothing wrong.

Russian and Belarusian tennis players can now play at ATP and WTA tournaments in a neutral status without a flag and an anthem.

— I think that ATP fully complies with the instructions of the IOC. Our players cannot play under the national flag in team competitions, as in any other sport. But there are sports that ban individual players. In general, we do not admit collective guilt. These guys didn’t do anything wrong. They played tennis all their lives. We believe that they should, in fairness, have opportunities, just like everyone else.

We also believe that they should be able to compete and have the right to vote, to express their opinion. We want these players to speak, to be able to express their feelings so that it reaches their people and country. For them to tell their own version of the story. We stand for justice and freedom, we will continue to fight for these principles, Globo quotes Gaudenzi.

In 2022, Russian and Belarusian tennis players were suspended from Wimbledon due to the situation in Ukraine. Later, the organizers of the competition were fined $1 million, and the WTA and ATP stripped the tournament of ranking points.