Sports
Wimbledon: Russians, Belarusians sign declarations to compete
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Several Russian and Belarusian players have already signed personal declarations that will clear them to compete as neutrals at this year’s Wimbledon championships, the All England Club has said.
Wimbledon announced last month that it had lifted its ban which prevented athletes from the two countries playing last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Speaking at the club’s pre-tournament Spring media conference, Club chairman Ian Hewitt said the U-turn had been the hardest decision of his four years in the job.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” he told reporters. “I think our statement on March 31 set out the position as clearly as we could, namely that there were a combination of factors and it was a combination of factors and developments since last year which led to our decision.”
Wimbledon and the other British grass-court tournaments stood alone in barring Russian and Belarusian players such as former world number ones Daniil Medvedev and Victoria Azarenka last year.
The decision resulted in ranking points being stripped from the events and the Lawn Tennis Association being hit with huge fines by the ATP and WTA.
To compete this year, Russian and Belarusian players must agree to compete as neutrals, not to make statements supporting the war or the regimes involved and not to receive funding from either nation or state-supported businesses.
“The development of the wording of the declarations is obviously based on government guidance, working with the Tours, the ITF and our partners at the LTA,” All England Club CEO Sally Bolton said on Tuesday.
“As soon as we made the announcement players were able to sign the declarations and they are able to right up until the entry deadline. I won’t share the details of who but a number of players have already signed.
“We listened to the feedback from athletes from last year and that was that they wanted the choice to be able to sign the declaration. They fully understand what they are signing up to.”
Wimbledon’s U-turn attracted some criticism with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calling it “immoral”.
Bolton said she had personally spoken to Ukrainian players at the time of the announcement and that the majority had understood the situation and the club’s decision.
Hewitt re-emphasised Wimbledon’s “condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”, which Moscow calls a special militry operation, and said that the tournament would continue to support players and refugees from the country.
Wimbledon will meet all of the accommodation costs of Ukraine players during the tournament and all of the build-up events in the British grasscourt season, while one pound will be donated to Ukraine relief efforts for every ticket sold — amounting to around 500,000 pounds ($621,150).
Other announcements included a continuation of play on the middle Sunday, which came into effect last year, and the extension of a trial allowing players to receive coaching from their entourages in the stands.
An announcement on prize money will be made in June.
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Tributes have poured in after the son of former Chelsea star Eddie Newton was found dead alongside his friend following a hike in the UAE, where temperatures soared to 50C.
Cassius Newton, 34, and his friend Aran Martinson, 33, were found by rescuers on July 18 after setting out on a hike in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region.
The pair, from Dorset and Essex respectively, both lived and worked in the UAE. Their bodies were discovered between 3km and 4km from their vehicle.
According to a report, Chelmsford area coroner Michelle Brown said their provisional causes of death included cardiac and respiratory arrest.
Cassius, a non-league footballer, was the son of former Chelsea midfielder and coach Eddie Newton, who spent more than a decade with the club.
His wife was in the UK when she became concerned after Cassius failed to contact her following the hike and reported him missing.
The two men had been living at a luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah.
Tributes after desert tragedy
Tributes poured in after the deaths.
Aran’s wife described him as “incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious”, saying he had recently begun a new chapter in his career and was excited about the future.
Blackfield & Langley Football Club paid tribute to their former player, saying: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the passing of former player Cassius Newton; our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
National League club Eastleigh, where Cassius had previously played, said it was “deeply saddened” by his death.
Chelsea connection
Cassius’ father Eddie Newton played for Chelsea from 1990 to 2001 and famously scored in the club’s 1997 FA Cup final victory.
The former midfielder also represented Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Oxford United and Barnet.
After retiring as a player, Newton moved into coaching, working as assistant manager at MK Dons and West Brom before returning to Chelsea.
He later served as assistant manager under Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benítez.
(With inputs from BBC, The Sun)
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